Stranded Witness
by supernaturalsam
Summary: COMPLETE! Frank invites Nancy to go to New York City with him and Joe for a relaxing break. But what happens when Nancy wrecks her car and is a witness to a murder? PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Default Chapter

1Disclaimer: I own nothing, but I wish that I did.

**Author's Note: **Well, here I am with another one. I hope you respond as well as you have with my previous stories. As always, please read and review and remember that all types of feedback are appreciated.

Eighteen year old Nancy Drew was sitting on the sofa in the den of her house in River Heights when the phone rang. She put down the thriller she had been reading and reached for the cordless phone beside her.

"Hello?" she said into the phone.

"Just the person that I was looking for." Eighteen year old Frank Hardy's cheerful voice greeted her.

Nancy smiled into the phone. Frank Hardy and his brother, Joe, were world famous detectives just like her. There had always been this undeniable attraction between her and Frank, but there was nothing either of them could do about it, because Nancy had Ned Nickerson and Frank had Callie Shaw.

"Well, well...Frank Hardy." Nancy said.

"What are you up to, Drew?" he asked.

"At this particular moment?" Nancy asked. "Talking to you."

"And before I called?" Frank asked.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Saving the world...again." Nancy said.

"And you're not even out of breath." Frank teased. "Impressive."

Nancy smiled again. "Actually I was reading."

"So, no case?" he asked.

"Nope." Nancy said.

"Well, then we have something in common." Frank said.

"You mean you and Joe are bored out of your minds, too?" Nancy asked.

"Completely." Frank said. "And I want to do something about it."

"What re you going to do?" Nancy asked. "Go up to every person in Bayport and see if they have a mystery for you to solve?"

"And excellent idea, but no. How would you like to join Joe and me for a trip into New York City?" Frank asked.

"Sounds tempting." Nancy said. "When?"

"We were thinking of now." Frank said.

"I think I can swing that." Nancy said. "No mystery to solve, right?"

"The only mystery we will have to solve is how Joe manages to eat so much and yet still live to tell about it." Frank said.

Nancy laughed. "The eternal question."

"So you wanna come?" Frank asked, hopeful.

"Sure. Why not?" Nancy said. "Just let me pack and I'll be on my way."

"Great!" Frank said a little too enthusiastically.

"Just give me an hour to pack and I'll head on over." Nancy said.

"Okay." Frank said. "See you soon, Nan."

Frank hung up the phone and smiled to himself. _Nancy would be here soon, _he thought. And though he was doing this to give them all a break, he couldn't deny the fact that he had wanted to see Nancy again. Two months had been too long.

"What are you so happy about?" Joe asked his brother as he stepped into Frank's bedroom.

"I was just talking to Nancy." Frank said.

Joe rolled his eyes. He had been watching them on every case that they worked on together. Anyone with eyes could see they were attracted to each other. He just wished that they would act on it already.

"I should have known." Joe said. "Anytime you talk to her or about her, your face lights up."

"Don't start, Joe." Frank warned.

"Whatever, Frank." Joe said. "So, what were you two talking about?"

"She's coming up here." Frank said. "The three of us are going to New York City for a few days."

"Oh, really?" Joe asked.

"I thought we could all use a little break from detective work." Frank said. He pulled out his duffel bag from under his bed.

_You just want to see her again, _Joe thought to himself. "So, when will she get here?" he asked aloud.

"In a few hours." Frank answered.

"Good." Joe said. "That still gives to time to work on your guilty conscience for doing this behind Callie's back."

"What is your problem, Joe?" Frank demanded, turning on his brother. "As I recall, you don't like Callie."

"You're right, I don't really like her. I don't think that there has ever been a time that I have liked her. I am all for you and Nancy to hook up. I just don't think you should keep stringing Callie along like this." Joe explained.

"And this comes from a habitual flirt." Frank said.

"That's a cheap shot, Frank." Joe said.

Frank looked at his brother and sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. This is a sore subject for me. You know that I have feelings for Nancy and it is wrong that we do this to Ned and Callie. But we also know that we can't act on anything right now. And that's just how it has to be."

Frank turned away from his brother and started to put clothes in his duffel.

Joe turned to leave the room, but stopped at the door.

"I do understand, Frank." Joe said quietly. "Even if you don't think I do."

Nancy was on her way to Bayport, New York and hour after she got off of the phone with Frank. She was really surprised that he had called her, especially after the big blow-out they had on their last case. It had been about Ned.

Nancy's mind drifted as she remembered what was said:

_"Nancy, he doesn't understand you! He doesn't understand that you help people!" Frank said._

_"But he's right, Frank!" Nancy said loudly. "I spend way too much time doing this. I never have time for him anymore!"_

_"That's selfish on his part!" Frank said, his voice level matching hers. "All he wants to do is keep your sheltered. He wants you to stop doing what you love!"_

_"He would never force me to leave!" Nancy cried._

_"That is exactly what he is doing. You're just too blind to see it!" Frank said. He put his hands on her shoulders._

_Nancy tore away from his grasp. "What about you, Frank?" she demanded._

_"What about me?" he asked._

_"Callie does the same thing to you. She wants you all to herself. She doesn't even care what you want!" Nancy said._

_"How did this get turned around on me?" Frank asked._

_"Hey, you started it! You attacked me!" Nancy said._

_"That is so childish." Frank said._

_Nancy shook her head and grabbed her purse. "I'm not doing this anymore."_

_"Where are you going?" Frank asked._

_"I'm going home." Nancy said. "Call me when you want to talk and not lecture me."_

_And with that she had slammed the door to his hotel room._

Nancy shook her head to clear it. It was behind them now. At least, she hoped it was.

She reached over without looking and grabbed her cell phone from the passenger seat. She dialed Frank's number.

"I'm on the road now." She said when he answered the phone. "I should be there around seven tonight."

"Be careful, Nan. We have a lot of rain heading this way." Frank said.

"I will," Nancy said. "See you in a bit." She hung up the phone and stuck it in her purse.

Nancy drove for a few hours when the rain finally started to come down. She had to slow her speed and really concentrate on the road ahead of her.

She spied a sign and saw that she was entering Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She knew it would be at least a couple of hours before she reached Bayport, she pulled into a gas station and filled up her car. She then got on the road again.

It was already becoming dark, so she turned on her headlights. She looked in front of her through the sheets of rain to see that she was leaving the populated areas and heading into a small town. She looked at a battered sign on the side of the road and to see that she was five miles from Huntingdon.

Nancy turned up the volume on her radio and searched for a rock station. She took her eyes off of the road for a second and when he glanced up to see a dog standing in the middle of the road.

Reflex made her grab the steering wheel and swerve sharply to the right. She overcompensated and lost control of her car. Nancy braced her self as her car collided with a tree.

She felt a throbbing pain in her left leg before she blacked out.

**Author's Note: **Yes, another one. Well, that's it for Chapter One. Please let me know what you think.


	2. Waking Up

**Author's Note: **These are so pesky, aren't they??? Anyway, thank you for all of the wonderful reviews and I'm sorry it has taken me a bit to get the next chapter up. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Chanukah, and I hope that you have a Happy New Year. By the way, the murder that Nancy witnesses will happen soon, maybe sometime in the next two chapters. Well, enjoy!

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Nancy didn't know how long she was out before a knock on her window startled her. She jumped, but immediately regretted it as a shooting pain went up her left leg. She turned to see a man standing outside her door, staring at her.

"Are you okay?" the man shouted.

Nancy could feel the blackness creeping in again.

"Hey!" he shouted. "You have to let me know if you're okay!"

Nancy let out a low moan and raised a weak hand to her forehead. She felt a large lump and stickiness–she knew that her head was bleeding.

The man tore Nancy's door open and she slumped against him. She sat her up and she looked at him through blurry eyes.

"What's your name?" he asked loudly.

Nancy winced. "Nancy." She said weakly.

"I need you to stay with me, Nancy. My name is Luke. I'm going to help you, okay?" he said.

Nancy nodded that she understood.

"How bad are you hurt, besides that nasty bump on your head?" Luke asked.

"My leg," Nancy said. "I think it may be broken." She gasped in pain.

"Don't try to do anything." Luke said. "I'm going to get you out if here."

Nancy nodded again and passed out.

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Frank Hardy looked at his watch and sighed. It was eight o'clock and Nancy still hadn't arrived. It struck him as odd because she was such a stickler for punctuality.

He grabbed the cordless from his night stand and dialed Nancy's cell phone. He was instantly greeted by her voice message:

"Hi, it's Nancy. I would think of a clever greeting for you, but I don't have any. Leave me a message."

Frank sighed. "Hey, Nan, it's me. I'm getting worried about you. Call me as soon as you get this message." He hung up the phone and threw it on his bed.

"Still no word from her?" Joe asked, walking in.

Frank shook his head. "All I keep getting is her voice mail."

"Maybe she's stuck in traffic or stopped for a bite to eat."Joe offered.

"Then why isn't she answering her cell phone?" Frank asked.

"Maybe the battery is low or it's out of the service area." Joe said.

"Or maybe something's happened to her and she can't get to her phone." Frank said.

"You're being paranoid, Frank." Joe said. "And assuming the worst. And you know what they say about that."

"Yeah, I know what they say," Frank said. "But I'm also thinking logically."

Joe walked to his brother's bed and sat down. "If something happened, Frank, she'll call."

Frank walked over to the window and looked outside. "I hope you're right, Joe."

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When Nancy woke up, she had no idea where she was. She looked through her groggy eyes and saw that she was lying in a bed in a room that had a fireplace, a small dresser, and a television. _Definitely no where I know, _she thought.

The door to the bedroom opened and a man walked in. Nancy's reflexes immediately kicked in and she tensed.But when the man smiled warmly at her, she relaxed a little.

"You're finally awake." he said.

"Where am I?" Nancy asked.

"You're at my house. I brought you here after your car accident." He explained

"And you are?" she asked.

The man chuckled. "I see you've forgotten we've already met. My name is Luke Medina."

Nancy gave him a small smile and then winced when she felt a sharp pain in her leg.

"Is you leg starting to bother you?" Luke asked. He went over to her bed and puled the flannel blanket off of her leg so she could see it. Nancy saw that it was heavily bandaged.

"What did I do to my leg?" she asked.

"You have a hairline fracture. The doc just wrapped it up in a temporary cast until we can get into town to a hospital. But he says it's really nothing to worry about. Just to try to stay off of it as much as you can." Luke explained.

Nancy sat up as a sudden thought occurred to her. "I can't stay here. I'm supposed to be meeting my friends in New York right now."

Luke gently pushed her back. "You can call them and explain what happened. They can come here and pick you up. Your car was totaled and the town truck brought it in. And besides, you're in no condition to drive."

Nancy started to protest, but she knew that Luke was right. Her leg was starting to throb and she knew if she tried to drive on it, the pain would be unbearable.

"Well, can you at least hand me my purse?" Nancy asked.

Luke smiled. "Now, that I can do."

He grabbed her purse off of the dresser and handed it to her. Nancy found her cell phone and dialed Frank.

"Nancy!" he exclaimed into the phone.

"Yeah, it's me." Nancy said.

"Where are you? Why aren't you here? Why haven't you called?" he asked.

"Somewhere in Pennsylvania. I was in a car accident. And I've been unconscious." Nancy explained swiftly.

"What!?" Frank cried. "Are you okay?"

"My leg has a hairline fracture and I have a nasty bump on my head. But other than that, I'm fine." Nancy explained. "The doctor says I can't do anything or I'll make my leg worse that it is."

"What hospital are you at?" Frank asked. "Joe and I will come and get you."

"I'm not." Nancy said. "I'm at a man's house–the man who found me. And I just happen to be in a town that doesn't have a hospital."

"I don't like this, Nan." Frank said.

"Everything is fine, Frank." Nancy said. "Luke has been very good to me."

"Well, tell me where you are." Frank said.

Just then Nancy's phone beeped."Look, my phone is dying. I'll call you back in the morning. There's not much that can be done right now anyway."

She hung up the phone before he could protest. She sat back against her pillows and sighed. She really hoped that she was right about Luke.

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**Author's Note: **Well, there you go! Please review!


	3. Witness

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, wish I did.

**Author's Note: **Again, thank you for all of your reviews. Some of you are making really great guesses on what is going to happen. And this is totally off of topic, but some of you may want to know this. For all of you Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy fanatics out there, on March 22nd the first season of the 1970's show will be released on DVD. Anyhow, back to the story.

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"So, is everything squared away with your friend?" Luke asked as he walked back into Nancy's bedroom.

Nancy smiled at him. "Yeah. Except my battery to my phone is dying and I wasn't able to tell him exactly where I was."

"Well, I can plug it in for you and let it charge overnight." Luke said.

"Oh, that would be great." Nancy reached into her purse and pulled out the charger. "I told him I'd call tomorrow and let him know where I was. You would have to tell him how to get here though."

"That wouldn't be a problem," Luke said taking her phone and charger. He plugged it into an outlet beside her bed.

"Do you have a home phone?" Nancy asked.

Luke shook his head. "Nah. This town has about 400 people and there's really no sense in getting one. If we want to talk to each other, we do it in town."

"What if you have an emergency?" Nancy asked.

"I yell really loud." Luke joked.

Nancy chuckled. "So, do you have any family?"

"I'm an only child. My parents died when I was young." Luke explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Nancy said quietly.

"Don't be." Luke said. "You weren't driving the car that hit them."

"No, " Nancy said. "I say that because I know what that's like. My mother died when I was three."

Luke looked at her sympathetically and there was a moment of silence between the two of them.

"So, how old are you, Nancy?" Luke asked, sitting in a wooden chair across the room.

"Eighteen." Nancy answered.

"I remember eighteen." Luke said, smiling.

"It couldn't have been that long ago for you." Nancy said.

"Well, I'm twenty five." Luke said.

"See, not that long." Nancy said.

"Long enough." Luke said.

"So, what do you do, Luke?" Nancy asked.

"I run the hardware shop in town." Luke said. "So, what about you? Where do you call home?"

"River Heights, Illinois." Nancy said. "It's a small town near Chicago."

"As small as Huntingdon?" Luke asked.

"No. We're about double your size." Nancy said.

"So, what brought you this way?" Luke asked.

"Like I said earlier, I was on my way to New York to meet a couple of friends. And instead of taking the quick and easy way there, like a plane or a bus, I decided to drive there." Nancy explained.

"You can't blame yourself for that." Luke said. "You had no idea you would wreck your car on the way there."

"No." Nancy chuckled. "If I was able to know that, then I would be able to predict things before I do them. And I wouldn't have made mistakes along the way."

"Regrets?" Luke asked.

"No more than anyone else." Nancy said. She tried to stifle a yawn, but it came out anyway. "I have to be boring you with this talk about me. I'm boring myself."

"And that's my cue to leave." Luke said, standing up. He walked to the dresser next to Nancy's bed and pulled a bottle of pills out of the drawer. "The doc told me to give you one of these before bed. It will help with the pain in your leg so you can sleep."

Nancy took the pills and a glass of water from Luke. She swallowed the pills and he took the glass from her.

"And you weren't boring me, Nancy. It's nice to have someone in the house to talk to." Luke said.

Nancy watched as he walked to the door. "Hey, Luke."

Luke turned around to look at her.

"Thank you." Nancy said. "For everything."

Luke gave her a small smile. "You're welcome. Goodnight, Nancy."

He turned off the light and closed the door.

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"Was that Nancy?" Joe asked Frank when he hung up the phone.

"Yeah." Frank said, distracted.

"Well, where is she?" Joe asked.

"Somewhere in Pennsylvania. She had a car accident." Frank said.

"Is she okay?" Joe asked, concerned.

"She sounded like she was." Frank said. "I mean other than the broken leg and knot on her head." He ran a hand through his hair.

"What?!" Joe said, shocked.

"And her phone died before she could tell me where she was, so I have to wait until morning before she tells me." Frank said.

"Well, at least you know where she is and that she's okay." Joe offered.

"Yeah, but she's hurt." Frank said

"There's nothing we can do for her tonight. She'll call us tomorrow and then we'll go and pick her up." Joe said.

"Yeah," Frank said, sulking.

"Try to get some sleep, Frank." Joe said.

_Yeah, right, _Frank thought to himself as Joe left the room.

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Nancy awoke to the sound of pounding rain and thunder. She looked at her indiglo watch and saw that it was one in the morning. She sighed and fluffed her pillow and tried to go back to sleep.

She was almost asleep again when she thought she heard shouting coming from outside. She turned her head towards the window again and listened for the shouting again. After a few moments she heard it again.

A woman screaming made her sit straight up in bed. Nancy swung her legs over the bed and carefully eased herself onto the floor. She then hobbled carefully over to the window and looked outside.

What she saw was a beat-up looking red car parked in front of Luke's house and two people sitting inside the car. The two people appeared to be having a heated argument. Nancy watched as a woman got out of the passenger side and a man got out of the driver's side.

"I told you I'm not doing this anymore!" the woman shouted.

"Yes, you are, Maddie! You're in this up to your eyeballs!" The man shouted at her.

"We are hurting too many people! I'm tired of it!" Maddie screamed.

"What are you going to do?" The man asked.

"I'm going to the police! I'm telling them everything!" Maddie said. She started to walk away.

Nancy saw the man take after Maddie. "No! I _will not _let you do this to me!"

Nancy watched, afraid to breathe, as the man picked up a small statue from Luke's yard and approached Maddie from behind. He lifted it above his head and brought down on Maddie's head.

Nancy brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a scream and watched in horror as he kept hitting her with it.


	4. The Sheriff

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, but wish I did.

**Author's Note: **Wow, I'm doing pretty good getting this out as quickly as I am. I know I'm impressed! Anyway, thank you again for all of your wonderful reviews. (I know I say that all of the time, but I really mean it. Without your wonderful support, I wouldn't continue doing this.) I hope you like this chapter and please review!

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Nancy didn't know what to do. She knew she couldn't go outside and confront the man. With her broken leg, she didn't really stand much of a chance and she would just be giving him the invitation to kill her. Nancy took a deep breath and looked out the window again. This time she saw that the man was looking right at her window. She jumped back in fear and managed to trip over herself in the process.

Nancy fell to the ground _hard. _Her leg throbbed in pain, but she ignored it as question ran through her brain._ Did the man actually see her? Did he know that she had witnessed the entire thing. And if so, would he be coming for her now? _

Nancy's thoughts were interrupted by pounding footsteps racing up the stairs. A few seconds later, Luke rushed in and saw Nancy on the floor.

"Nancy, are you okay?" he asked, kneeling next to her.

"I fell," was all she could say.

"What were you doing out of bed?" He asked.

"You didn't hear all of the commotion outside?" Nancy asked.

"No." Luke said. "It's hard to hear anything but the rain right now."

"I heard people yelling outside. I got up, hobbled over to the window and saw a man and a woman arguing in a red car. The argument got worse and the man hit her with a statue from your yard." Nancy explained.

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming it?" Luke asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Nancy said, exasperated.

"That pain medicine I gave you could have made you imagine it all." Luke said.

"Luke, _please._" Nancy begged. "Go look out the window."

Luke looked at Nancy and saw the panic in her eyes. He sighed, got up, and walked over to the window.

"There's no one out there." he said a few moments later.

"What?" Nancy pulled herself up and hobbled over to the window. When she looked out there, she didn't see anything. No red car, no man, and certainly not a body.

"I don't understand." Nancy whispered. "They were out there. I saw that man kill Maddie."

"Maddie?' Luke asked, confused.

"That was the woman's name." Nancy said.

She glanced at Luke. She could see that he really wanted to believe her, but he was having a hard time. She couldn't really blame him if he thought she was crazy. She could only imagine how her story was sounding to him.

"Come on." Luke said. "Let's get you back in bed." He gently helped her over to her bed and helped her settle back in.

"Maybe I am imagining it all." Nancy said softly. "But it all seemed so real."

"Don't start doubting yourself, Nancy. I'm not saying that I don't believe you. If you believe you saw what you did, we can call the sheriff in the morning. The rain's coming down to heavy now anyway for anyone to do anything." Luke said.

Nancy smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you, Luke."

Luke smiled back at her. "You're welcome. But before I let you do that tomorrow, the doc will be over tomorrow to take a look at that leg."

"Deal." Nancy said.

As Luke walked back to the door, Nancy finally seemed to notice that he wasn't wearing a shirt. He must have caught her staring at him because he cleared his throat. Nancy blushed and looked down.

"Try to get some more sleep, Nancy." Luke said and turned off her light.

Nancy was smiling, despite everything that had just happened outside her window.

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When Nancy woke up the next morning around eight, she was greeted by the smell of breakfast. She sat up in bed and swung her legs over the bed. She made her way over to her duffel bag and pulled out some fresh clothes. She then went to the bathroom, washed up, and changed. When she came out of the bathroom, there was a knock on her door. Luke walked in, holding a pair of crutches.

"Good morning." He said.

"Good morning." Nancy said.

"Doctor Newton is downstairs. He brought these crutches over so you could move around a little easier." Luke said.

"Great." Nancy said. "I just need to grab my phone."

"I'll get it for you." Luke said.

He walked over to the dresser and grabbed it. He then helped her with her crutches and they slowly made their way downstairs. He guided Nancy to the kitchen and pulled out a chair at the table so she could sit down.

A couple of minutes later, a man with salt-and-pepper hair walked in holding a black medical bag. He sat it down on the table in front of Nancy.

"Miss Drew, we didn't get a chance to meet yesterday. I'm Doctor Newton." He said holding out a hand.

Nancy shook it and smiled. "Please, call me Nancy."

"Okay, Nancy." Doctor Newton pulled a chair out and sat down in front of Nancy. "So how do you feel today?" he asked.

"I feel good." Nancy said. "I woke up with a slight headache, but it's starting to go away."

"That's great to hear." Doctor Newton said. "So, Luke tells me you fell last night."

"Um, yes." Nancy glanced over at Luke and he shook his head to tell her he didn't say anything."I was going to the bathroom and I fell."

"Well, let's take a look, shall we?" he asked. He unwrapped her leg quickly and examined it. He then wrapped it back up and stood up.

"It doesn't look like you hurt it anymore than it already is." Doctor Newton said. "But I advise you to be a little more careful."

"I will." Nancy promised.

Doctor Newton changed the bandage on Nancy's head and packed his things.

"How much do I owe you?" Nancy asked before he left.

Doctor Newton smiled. "Don't worry about it. I owe Luke anyway. You just let him take care of you and we'll call it even." He turned to Luke. "Call me if there are any problems."

"I will." Luke walked him to the door and came back into the kitchen. "So, are you hungry?"

"Starving, actually." Nancy said.

Luke brought the food to the table and they ate in peace. After they were done, Luke got up and washed the dishes. He gave Nancy the number for the sheriff's office and Nancy placed the call. They promised to come within thirty minutes. After hanging up with them, Nancy called Frank.

"It's about time you called." Frank said as a way of greeting.

"And hello to you too." Nancy said.

"Sorry, Nan." Frank said. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She said.

"Good." Frank said.

"I'm going to let you talk to Luke and he can tell you how to get here." Nancy said and handed the phone to Luke. She listened as he quickly gave Frank the directions. Luke then handed the phone back to Nancy.

"I'll see you when you get here, Frank." Nancy said.

"You didn't tell him about what happened last night." Luke said when she hung up the phone.

"I'll tell him when he gets here. It would only freak him out and then he would get into an accidenr." Nancy said.

"So, is he your boyfriend?" Luke asked, awkwardly.

"Who, Frank?" Nancy shook her head. "He's just a really good friend."

"Oh," Luke said. "So, do you have a boyfriend?"

Nancy hesitated. "I'm not sure," she finally said. "We're kind of taking a break from each other."

Nancy saw Luke glance at her and give her a small grin.

Just then the doorbell rang. Luke got up to answer it as Nancy used her crutches and made her way into the living room. A minute later, Luke walked in with a woman with dark hair that was pulled into a bun who appeared to be in her thirties.

"Nancy, this is Sheriff Bethanie Vaughn. Sheriff, this is Nancy Drew." Luke said.

They both shook hands and sat down–Nancy on the sofa and Sheriff Vaughn on the recliner. Luke remained standing behind the sofa.

"So, Nancy," the sheriff began. "Luke tells me you claimed you witnessed a murder last night."

"Yes, that's correct." Nancy said.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened?" Vaughn asked. She pulled out a notepad and a pen.

"It was around one in the morning. The rain is actually what happened to wake me up." Nancy began. "I heard yelling, but I thought I was just hearing things. But then I heard the yelling gain. So, I got up out of bed and went over to the window. I saw a small beat-up red car and a man and a woman inside of it. It looked as if they were having a big fight.

"The woman got out of the car and the man followed her. She told him she couldn't do it anymore." Nancy said.

"Do what?" Vaughn asked.

"I don't know. They never said." Nancy answered. "But the woman, Maddie, said she was going to the police to tell them everything. The man said he wouldn't let her do that to him. She started to walk away. The man followed, picked up a small statue and hit her on the head with it. Then he just kept hitting her."

"Do you know what the man's name was?" Vaughn asked.

"No. Maddie never said it." Nancy said.

"Luke, did you see or hear any of this?" Sheriff Vaughn asked him.

"No, I ran up to Nancy's room when I heard a crash. She told me to look out the window, but I didn't see anything." Luke explained.

"I see." Sheriff Vaughn shut her notebook with a snap. "Well, we'll keep our eyes and ears open, but I have to be honest with you, Nancy. This will be the proverbial needle in the haystack."

"I know how this sounds, Sheriff." Nancy said. "I'm an amateur detective and I know I must sound crazy. But I do know what I saw."

"I know you do, Nancy. But without any evidence there's nothing I can really do right now." Vaughn said and stood up.

Nancy looked down, trying to hide her disappointment. As the sheriff was about to leave, Nancy called out to her.

"Sheriff, wait! There is one more thing." she said.

Sheriff Vaughn turned around to look at her.

"I think the man that I saw last night may have seen me. I think he knows that I witnessed everything."


	5. Frank and Joe

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, but wish that I did.

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The Sheriff's hand froze on the doorknob. She turned around to gaze at Nancy intently. Nancy could see from the corner of her eye, that Luke was staring at her as well.

"Are you sure about this, Nancy?" Sheriff Vaughn asked.

Nancy nodded slowly. "About ninety-five percent."

"This certainly changes things up a bit." Vaughn said. She walked over to stand in front of Nancy. "You say that he saw you so that goes the same for you too, right?'

Nancy nodded. "I got a pretty good glimpse of him."

Vaughn sighed. "I'll tell you what we're going to do. I'll send out a bulletin to the other police station in nearby towns and see if they've had any reports about a missing person named "Maddie". Maybe that will give us something to go on.

"In the meantime, I'll send out a sketch artist and maybe see if this person that you saw will ring any bells with anyone in town. I want you to be careful, Nancy. I'm not saying that it's probable, but it is possible that this guy may come back for you if he thinks you've seen everything." Vaughn said.

"To tie up loose ends." Nancy said gravely.

Vaughn nodded ay Nancy somberly and then she turned her attention to Luke. "You keep an eye on her, Luke."

"I will, Sheriff." Luke said. He closed the door behind her when she left. He then turned to look at Nancy.

"So, were you going to tell me that part at all?" he asked.

"Eventually," Nancy said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Why didn't you tell me about it last night as soon as it happened?" Luke asked, sitting beside her on the sofa.

"Because I was a little freaked by the whole thing and I wasn't thinking clearly." Nancy said. "And I didn't want to worry you."

"Well, I'm worried now." Luke said.

"I know. I am, too." Nancy looked at Luke. "I'm sorry."

Luke gave a dismissive wave with his hand. "Don't worry about it. Like you said, you were freaked and it probably just slipped your mind."

"So now we wait." Nancy said with a sigh.

"Now we wait. "Luke repeated.

They sat in silence for a few moments, not knowing what to say. Nancy finally broke it when the silence was becoming unbearable.

"What about your hardware store?" She asked.

"What about it?" Luke asked.

"Who's running it while you're stuck here taking care of me?" Nancy asked.

"Hal. He's the manager." Luke said.

"He doesn't have to. You could go back to work if you wanted to." Nancy said. "I mean, staying here with me can't be that much fun."

"Are you saying that work is fun?" Luke asked. "Or are you saying that I'm not allowed to take a day off when I want to?"

"No. I'm just saying that you don't have to stay here and take care of me." Nancy said. "I can manage on my own."

"You did a wonderful job of that last night." Luke said.

"Funny." Nancy said. Then her voice turned serious. "This isn't the first time that someone's been after me."

"Because you're a detective." Luke said.

"Right. I have people who want to kill me, in a line that runs for miles." Nancy said. "It's part of the job description. And I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

"I told Bethanie that I would look after you and I will. And if I get hurt, then it's all part of the job description." Luke said.

He stood up. "I think I'll call and check in with Hal."

Nancy watched him sadly as he walked towards the kitchen. He stopped midway, but didn't turn to look at her.

"And I always keep my word, Nancy."

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"It's about time we got here." Joe commented as Frank drove past the "Welcome to Huntingdon" sign. They had been on the road for three hours and they were both feeling antsy.

"You're not kidding." Frank said.

"Town isn't much to look at, is it?" Joe said

"No, it isn't," Frank said, looking at the small town as he drove past.

All they could see so far was a small market, post office, hardware store, and up ahead a gas station. There were barely any cars visible and he could see people staring at him and Joe as they drove past.

"Let's stop at the gas station and fill up the car while we're out." Frank said.

Frank pulled into the gas station and up to a gas pump. Joe got out to fill the car while Frank went inside to pay for the gas. When Frank opened the door, a small bell jingled to announce his arrival. An older man and woman looked up at him from their newspaper.

"Hi." Frank said.

"Hello." The woman said cautiously.

"Uh, I need to pay for the gas." Frank said.

The woman moved over to see how much they had gotten. "That will be $17.85," she said.

Frank dug his wallet out of his back pocket and glanced up to see that they were both watching him suspiciously. Frank shrugged it off and handed the woman a twenty.

"So, what brings you this way, son?" The man asked.

"We're picking up a friend." Frank answered.

"The girl that was in the accident?" The man asked.

"That's right." Frank answered.

The woman handed Frank his change and he stuffed it into his pocket. He thanked the woman and could feel them watching him as he walked out the door towards his car.

"Let's get out of here." Frank said. "This town is just a little too creepy for me."

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Nancy looked at her watch and saw that it was one-thirty in the afternoon. She and Luke had just finished lunch and she was back on the sofa. _Frank and Joe should be arriving anytime soon, _she thought to herself. She had to admit that she was glad that they were coming. At least seeing them would offer a little bit of sanity to the crazy events of the previous day and night.

Nancy heard the engine of a car and the slamming of car doors. If she could have jumped up to greet them at the door, she would have. But instead she eased herself up and made her way to the door slowly with her crutches. Luke came in from cleaning the kitchen and opened to door to Frank and Joe, just as Nancy got there. Luke stepped back to let the brothers in.

"Hey," Nancy said, trying to hug the both of them while holding her crutches at the same time.

"Hey, Nan." Frank said. "How are you feeling?"

"Great." Nancy said. She nodded at Luke. "Luke, these are my friends, Frank and Joe Hardy. Frank, Joe, this is Luke Medina."

Luke extended his hand to the brothers. "Nice to meet you." he said. "Please, come into the living room and make yourselves comfortable."

Luke led the way into the living room and helped Nancy back on the sofa. Frank looked on, a spark of jealousy racing through him. He then sat right next to Nancy before Luke had a chance to.

"So, do you want to tell us exactly what happened?" he asked Nancy.

Nancy quickly explained the wreck to the brothers as well as she could and how Luke had taken care of her since then.

"So, Nancy says you don't have a hospital in town." Frank said, looking at Luke. Nancy and Joe exchanged worried glances.

"We're not exactly a bustling place." Luke said. "We're too small for a hospital so we have a town doctor."

"And you couldn't have driven her to a nearby town that _did _have a hospital?" Frank asked.

Nancy looked at Frank sharply but he ignored it.

"If she had asked me to take to the hospital then I would have." Luke said calmly.

"She has to _ask _you to go to the hospital?" Frank demanded. "Common sense will tell you that when someone has been in a wreck, they should go to the hospital! Especially if you have a broken leg!"

"It was a very minor fracture." Luke said, trying to keep his cool. "Dr. Newton looked her over thoroughly when I brought her here."

"Does he bring his very own X-ray machine?" Frank asked sarcastically.

"He knows what he's doing." Luke said. "I trust that man with my life."

"That's not good enough for me!" Frank exploded, standing up. "I would _give _my life for her, no questions asked."

Luke stood up as well and got in Frank's face. "Look, I stopped, okay? I didn't have to, but I did. I saw her car, made sure she was still alive and then I brought her here so she could be taken care of. So, I think a big 'thank you' would be nice right about now."

Frank and Luke squared off against each other. Joe stood up and got between them before things got worse. He could see that burning intensity in Frank's eyes and knew from past experiences it never went well.

Nancy was looking at Frank and Luke in disbelief. "I can't believe you two. I mean, so I need to call the principal in? Because right now, you two are acting like two fifth-graders about to brawl on the playground."

Frank looked over at Nancy and saw the anger in her eyes. He knew that he was pushing too far.

"Forget it," he said, looking at Luke again. "I'm going outside to cool off."

"Great idea." Nancy said. She watched as he walked away from Luke and finally heard the screen door slam shut behind him.

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**Author's Note: Sorry it took me a bit to get this next chapter up. I was just having a little trouble with the old noggin. In some of the reviews that I had, some were saying they can't believe there isn't a hospital in town. I happen to live in a town like that. I have to travel for miles before I get to one. Sad, yes...But it's the charm of a small town. Well, again please read and review!**


	6. Suspicions

Nancy put her face in her hands and sighed. She hated that Frank was acting like this. "I should go talk to him." She said.

"No, you stay." Joe said, standing up. "I'll go do it."

"I think I need to do it." Nancy said. "I'm the one he's mad at." She stood up and Joe sat back down.

She looked at Luke. "I'm really sorry about this Luke," she said. She walked to the door and opened it to find Frank sitting at the very end of the porch looking out into the woods. He looked up at her when she sat down on the swing.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" She asked, quietly.

Frank sighed." I'm not so sure about it myself." He stood up and sat next to her on the swing.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you're trying to start a fight where there shouldn't be one." Nancy said.

Frank nodded. "I know."

"You shouldn't have acted like that, Frank. You know it was stupid. You were being stupid." Nancy said.

"I know it was stupid. I just...snapped, I guess." Frank said.

Nancy gave him a small smile. "You did more than snap."

"Okay, I overreacted." Frank said.

"Better." Nancy said. "If I didn't think Luke was a good person and he really wanted to help me, I would have found a way out already. He's a good guy, Frank. And you know me. I would hope that you would at least trust my decisions that I make."

"I do, Nan. I think that's what makes this so hard for me." Frank said.

"So, are you going to apologize to Luke?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, I guess I better." Frank said, grudgingly.

"Good." Nancy said.

"And then we can get out of here." Frank said.

Nancy hesitated. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean? I thought you wanted to leave." Frank said.

"I do." Nancy said. "But something else happened last night."

"You want to tell me what it was or do I have to guess?" Frank asked.

"I witnessed a murder last night." Nancy quickly said.

"What?!" Frank exploded.

"I saw a man kill a woman last night right outside my window." Nancy explained. The proceeded to tell him everything that had happened. "And I think he saw me, too."

"Even more reason for us to leave, Nancy." Frank said.

"If I run, the police will never find this guy. They're having a hard enough time believing me, as it is." Nancy said.

"Do they know you're a detective?" Frank asked.

Nancy nodded. "I told the sheriff when she came by earlier. They're taking this as seriously as they can, but I'm the only one who saw anything."

"Luke didn't see anything?" Frank asked, suspicious.

"Don't, Frank." Nancy warned.

"Don't what?" Frank asked.

"Do not look for another reason to attack Luke." Frank was about to say something else but Nancy continued. "Now, no one here knows that you and Joe are detectives and I plan on it staying that way. When we go back inside, act like we've discussed nothing about this out here. There's a little motel right outside of town where you and Joe can stay."

"I don't want to leave you here alone, Nan." Frank said.

"I'll be fine, Frank. I'll have my cell on me at all times, in case I need you." She looked at her watch. "We've been out here long enough. We better get inside or they'll start to think I killed you."

Frank helped Nancy up and they went back into the house to see Luke and Joe watching the baseball game. Nancy sat down on the sofa and shot Frank a look.

"Hey, Luke," Frank began. "I want to apologize to you for my behavior. I don't know why I got crazy like that."

"I do. You care about Nancy. It's enough to make any man crazy." Luke said.

He and Frank shook hands. "Is there a motel around here?" Frank asked. "Nancy told me she's still not up to a road trip."

"You could stay here." Luke said. "I have plenty of room."

"We better not." Frank said. "I don't want to have another blow-out tonight."

"Okay." Luke said. "Well, there's the Woodland Motel right past town. About ten miles up the road."

"Great." Frank said. "We'll call you later, Nancy."

Joe looked confused as he stood up, but followed his brother out the door anyway. "You want to tell me what that's all about?"

"Let's get to the motel first." Frank said and started the car."

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"So, let me get this straight." Joe said. "She witnessed a murder, the guy may have seen her, and she wants to stay here as bait, so to speak, because she believes is she leaves, the police will never find this guy."

Frank looked at Joe, impressed. He had just told him what he and Nancy were talking about earlier.

"I think you have it pretty covered." Frank said. He reached into his duffel and pulled out his laptop.

"Did you try to talk her out of it?" Joe asked.

"No, I actually offered to make the sign that would tell this guy everything that he would ever want to know about her." Frank said, sarcastically."Of course I tried to talk her out of it. Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Well..." Joe began.

"Don't answer that unless you really want me to punch you." Frank said. He booted up his laptop and plugged the phone line in.

"So what do we do? We can't let her do this by herself." Joe said, sitting on his bed.

"She doesn't want anyone in town to know that we're detectives in case this guy is a local. She already told the sheriff that she was and I think she regrets it." Frank said.

"She doesn't trust the police?" Joe asked.

"She does. But it's a small town and they'll always believe in their residents. They don't want some outsider coming in and saying that one of them is a murderer." Frank explained.

"So, what are we going to do?" Joe asked again.

"I'm getting on-line to see if there are any missing persons. The police are doing it right now, but with the connections that we have, I'm hoping that we can come up with something a little quicker." Frank said.

"Are we sure it's safe to leave her alone with Luke? Joe asked.

"She seems to really trust him. So, until I have a reason not to trust him myself, I'm going to have to go with her judgement." Frank said.

"Still, it couldn't hurt to Google his name and see if anything pops up about him. You can find out anything about a person on the Internet these days." Joe said. He stood up and grabbed the keys to the car. "I'm going to go grab us something to eat."

Joe left Frank to his search. He remained on the start page, thinking about Joe's words. Nancy was one of the few people that he actually trusted and he had to trust her judgement. But Joe's idea to search Luke's name made him wonder.

Frank closed his eyes and sighed. When he finally started to type, he looked on the screen to see that he was searching _Luke Medina_.

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"Frank is certainly pleasant." Luke said after Frank and Joe had left.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that." Nancy said. "He tends to get that way sometimes."

"I know not to try to test him." Luke said.

"He really is a great person if you get to know him." Nancy said.

"Except for when it comes to you." Luke said.

Nancy looked down and gave a small smile.

Luke could see he was making her uncomfortable. "Let's change the subject."

"Gladly." Nancy said.

"Would you like to go out and get something to eat? We have a great little diner in town." Luke said.

"Sure. Sounds great." Nancy said.

"Let me get my keys and we'll be on our way." Luke said. He found his keys to his Ford Ranger and then helped Nancy out to the truck. He took a couple of back roads and ten minutes later they were pulling into Macy's Diner.

When they walked in a few people greeted Luke. He smiled and said hello to them and then led Nancy to a corner booth in the back.

"You seem to be popular around here." Nancy said, smiling.

"Small town. You're nice to everyone or it gets around." Luke said.

Nancy looked up as a thin, short woman with wavy red hair walked up to the booth, order pad in hand.

"Hey, Luke." she said.

"Hey, Macy. This is Nancy." Luke said pointing to her.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Nancy smiled.

"You too." Macy said. She turned to Luke and Nancy could have sworn that she saw Macy wink at Luke, as if in approval of her. Nancy just looked down at her menu and smiled to herself.

"So, you're usual, Luke?" Macy asked.

"You know it." Luke said. He looked at Nancy. "The hamburger steak is the best you'll ever have."

"Then I'll have that." Nancy said.

Macy left to put their orders in and quickly returned with their iced teas.

"So, what was that wink that she gave you?" Nancy asked.

Luke started to blush. "Oh. Macy just likes to look after me. She approves of you, by the way."

It was ten minutes before Macy returned with their food. While they ate, Luke told Nancy about all of the people that were in the diner.

When Nancy got finished, she sat back against the wall and spread her leg out on the booth. While Luke finished eating Nancy watched as people come and go out of the diner. Nancy did a double take and sat straight up when she saw a dark haired man enter the diner. She quickly averted her gaze and looked away. Luke looked at her, concerned.

"Are you okay, Nancy?" Luke asked.

"Yeah." Nancy said.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "You look awfully pale."

"It's just–" Nancy began.

"Just what?" Luke asked.

"Luke, that's him." Nancy said, nodding at the guy standing at the counter. "That's the guy I saw murder Maddie."


	7. Eric

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing...**

**Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me longer than usual to post this chapter. I've just been taking care of everyone in my house because they were sick and now I'm coming down with it. Ain't life grand...Please read and review. (And by the way, you can now review my story anonymously. I didn't know I had blocked those reviews.) **

**TesubCalle You found my grammatical error. I realized what I did wrong after you pointed it out to me! Thank you for that! **

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"Are you sure?" Luke asked, looking at the counter where Nancy was staring. He then turned to her with an amused expression on his face.

"Yes, I'm sure." She saw Luke's expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nancy, I'm telling you right now that there is no way that man is a killer." Luke said.

"How do you know that?" Nancy asked.

"Because he's one of my good friends from high school." Luke said.

Nancy looked back at the counter to see the guy holding up a hand at Luke. He gave the cashier his money and pointed at their table. He then made his way over to them.

Nancy slightly tensed when he stopped next to them.

"Luke, man! What's up?" he asked. Luke stood up and they shook hands.

"Just working." Luke said. He pointed at Nancy. "Nancy, I want you to meet Eric Warren. Eric, this is Nancy Drew."

Nancy looked up and could have sworn that she saw Eric's smile falter for the slightest second. He quickly recovered and held out his hand to Nancy. Nancy forced a smile and shook it, but she couldn't stop the chill that ran down her spine.

"What happened to your leg?" Eric asked, sitting down next to Luke.

"I had a car accident with a tree. The tree won." Nancy joked.

Eric chuckled at her. "I know how that is. I got into a wreck about four years ago."

"I didn't know that." Luke said.

"I was working up in Maine at the time." Eric said.

"So, what brings you back yo Huntingdon?" Luke asked. Macy came to their table and handed Eric his food.

"Don't be a stranger around here, Eric." Macy said.

"Thanks, Macy." Eric said. He turned his attention back to Luke. "I just missed it here. And I have a few things to take care of."

Nancy choked on her drink and started to cough.

"Are you okay, Nancy?"Luke asked.

Nancy waved her hand at him. "Yeah, it just went down the wrong way."

"How's the construction business going?" Luke asked.

"A little slow right now. But it always is this time of year. How's the hardware store?" Eric asked.

"Busy." Luke said. "Though I'm taking a couple of days off right now." He said looking at Nancy.

"When did you have your wreck, Nancy?" Eric asked.

"Yesterday," Nancy said. She kept watching him. She was sure that he was the man that she saw last night. But she didn't want to be around him anymore. She forced a big yawn.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"No, don't be," Luke said. "You've had a busy day." He grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket and threw some ones onto the table. "You should really be getting some sleep anyway."

Eric stood up to let Luke slide out of the booth. "I'm gonna be in town for the next few days if you want to do something."

"Yeah. I'll be at the house." Luke said.

"It was nice to meet you, Eric." Nancy said.

"You too." Eric said and handed Nancy her crutches. "Maybe I'll see you again."

Nancy gave him a nervous smile." Yeah...maybe."

Nancy could feel Eric watching her as she left the diner.

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"Are you okay?" Luke asked Nancy. They were on their way back to his house and she hadn't said a word to him.

Nancy looked over at him and forced a small smile."I'm fine."

Luke looked over at her. "You're not fine, Nancy. And you suck at lying." He looked ahead of him at the road. "You still think Eric is the one you saw, don't you?"

Nancy sighed. "I can't help it Luke. I look at people differently than most others would. I've taught myself to remember everything about a person and I know that Eric is the one that I saw last night. I know that he is a friend of yours, but I'm sorry–he's the one that I saw kill Maddie last night."

Luke didn't say anything. Nancy could tell that he was thinking about what she told him. When he turned into his driveway and shut off the truck, he finally looked at her.

"I'm not going to be mad at you, Nancy, if that's what you're worried about. But I am telling you that I don't think Eric is the one that you saw. And I know that I haven't given you any reason to believe me."

"Thank you, Luke." Nancy said as she opened her car door. "But when I talk to the sketch artist tomorrow, the description that I give them will look just like Eric."

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Frank rubbed his tired eyes and stretched. He had been hunched over his laptop for the last hour and a half, looking for any information that he could find on Luke Medina. And he had to admit that the search was futile.

Frank jumped in his chair, startled, when Joe walked back into the motel room carrying a bag of food and two drinks. Frank shut the laptop with a click and went over to grab the drinks from Joe.

"What took you so long?" Frank asked. "I thought you went right up the road."

"I did." Joe answered. "But I got...sidetracked."

"By a girl, I presume." Frank said sitting down at the small table in their room.

"You know me all too well." Joe said. He set the bag of food in front of Frank.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Frank asked.

Joe sat down on his bed against the headboard. "I already did." He gabbed the remote to the small television and turned it on.

"With the girl you got sidetracked by." Frank said.

"I was never one to turn down a girl." Joe said seriously.

Frank rolled his eyes and took a bite of his burger while Joe started to flip through the channels,

"So, did you find anything out?" Joe asked.

"Nothing on missing persons. I sent out a bunch on emails to our contacts around here, so maybe we'll know something soon." Frank explained.

"Find out anything else?" Joe asked.

"About what?" Frank asked.

Joe just looked at his brother and grinned. Frank ignored him and went back to eating. He figured that his brother would know what he was really searching for.

"I couldn't find out anything about him." Frank finally said five minutes later.

"You actually took my advice?" Joe asked.

"That's a shock to you?" Frank asked.

"Well, yeah." Joe said. "I'm not exactly Joyce Brothers."

"You just got me thinking." Frank commented.

"We really need to start recording our conversations." Joe said.

"Are you finished making jokes yet?" Frank asked.

Joe thought for a moment. "For the next couple of minutes, sure."

"He's exactly as he seems." Frank said. "I found a site to the local high school and as it happens they have an archive section on past graduates. He was second in class, played football and baseball, and was president of his senior class."

"Sounds like a good person to me." Joe said, watching television.

"Sounds too good to me." Frank said.

Joe turned his gaze away from the television and looked at Frank. "Take the name away and he's you, Frank."

Frank was about to protest but decided against it. He knew that Joe was right. He and Luke were almost the same. _So, that's it, _he decided. _Just drop it before someone gets hurt. _

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Nancy sighed when her head finally hit the pillow. She had to admit that she really was tired. And the encounter at the diner didn't help her nerves any. _How could a killer just show himself in public like that?_

But Nancy really wanted to believe Luke when he said that Eric would never do anything like that. People always wanted to believe the best in their friends. But she had come across way too many people who had secrets and would do anything to keep them. And it was hard for her to trust anyone.

_So why is it different with Luke? _she was suddenly asking herself. She didn't know where that question had come from. _But why was she trusting him so quickly?_

Nancy turned on her side and closed her eyes, trying to force herself to go to sleep. She needed to stop over-thinking things. Her leg was starting to hurt a little and she knew that she was exhausted. She finally closed her eyes fifteen minutes later and fell into a deep sleep.

Nancy never even heard her bedroom door open or noticed the shadow that passed over her body. That's why the hand that clasped over her mouth came as a total shock to her. Nancy's eyes popped open and she let out a scream as she saw that she was staring at Eric Warren. She tried to struggle with him, but he brought his other hand to her throat and squeezed.

"Don't scream again." he whispered fiercely.

Nancy looked at him, anger in her eyes.

"Good." He said. "I know you recognized me at the diner tonight, Nancy. You tried to hide it as best as you could in front of Luke. If you continue on with this story about me killing Maddie, I'll come back and do the same to you. Understand?"

Nancy hesitated and he squeezed her throat a little harder. When she nodded he loosened his grip.

Eric grinned at her."You'll tell the police you imagined everything that you saw. If I find out that the police are still looking for me, I'll be back. And next time, I won't wake you up."


	8. A Plan

Eric let go of Nancy and slipped out of her room before she had time to react. Nancy bolted up out of bed trying to catch her breath. She couldn't believe that he would be brave enough to come into her room in the middle of the night. She was afraid because Eric had just confirmed that she was right about him; she was angry because he had attacked her as she slept and when she was vulnerable.

Nancy went to her door. She shut it and this time made absolutely sure that it was locked. She was sure that she had locked it before she went to bed, but she was tired and was now starting to doubt herself. She then leaned against it and took a deep breath to regain her composure. There was no doubt in her mind that Eric had meant what he said to her. After all, he killed Maddie without any hesitation.

She made up her mind to do as Eric has said–at least as far as the police were concerned. But there was no way that she would let him get away with what he had done. She at least owed that to Maddie.

Nancy smiled to herself as she grabbed her purse off of the dresser. She reached in for her phone. If she couldn't have the police look into it anymore, she would have the next best thing. She dialed a number and he answered on the third ring.

"Frank...we need to talk."

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Nancy had found it a little hard to fall asleep after her run-in with Eric the night before. She had kept her eyes peeled out for him in case he decided to make an encore. When she finally got up out of bed around eight, she went downstairs to find Luke reading the newspaper.

She needed to tell him what had happened. She knew that it would hurt him since Eric was one of his friends, but she didn't want to keep him in the dark.

"Good morning." Nancy said.

Luke looked up from his paper. "Good morning. I have coffee in the kitchen."

Nancy went into the kitchen and fixed her a cup of coffee. She then went into the living room and sat down on the sofa across from Luke.

"You okay?" he asked when she sat down.

Nancy took a sip of her coffee. "Not really." She said and sat the cup down on the small table beside her.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

"Luke, something happened last night and I want you to know about it. But I know you're not going to like it." Nancy said.

"What is it?" Luke asked, putting down the paper.

"Eric came into my room last night." Nancy said.

"What?" Luke asked confused.

"He came into my room and he threatened to kill me unless I drop my story about him killing Maddie." Nancy explained.

Luke just shook his head.

"I'm not lying to you, Luke. And I'm not trying to become between you two. But when someone threatens my life, no matter who it is, I tend to take it seriously. You can believe me or not; it doesn't matter. But I'm going to the police later and I'm going to tell them that I must have made everything up." Nancy said.

Luke just looked at Nancy, speechless.

"Will you please say something?" Nancy asked.

"I have to go to the hardware store." Luke finally said.

He looked at Nancy again and stood up. Nancy watched him sadly as he left. She knew that she had hurt him, but he needed to know.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Nancy got up and made her way to the door. When she reached it, she held her crutch up in case it was Eric.

"Who is it?" Nancy called.

"It's Frank and Joe." Frank called.

Nancy let out a huge breath and opened the door to Frank and Joe.

"Hey, guys." Nancy said.

"Hey, Nan."Joe said.

"Where did Luke go?" Frank asked. "We passed him as he pulled out in a hurry."

"He's upset with me." Nancy said.

"Why?" Frank asked.

"Sit down." Nancy said.

Frank and Joe did as she told them.

"What was with the call last night, Nan?" Frank asked.

"I know who killed Maddie." Nancy said.

Frank and Joe just stared at her.

"I think this may be the shortest mystery of our careers." Joe said.

Frank ignored him. "How do you know who it is?"

"I saw him last night at the local diner while I was eating last night. And then, just to make sure that I got a good look at him, he showed up in my bedroom last night." Nancy said.

Frank's eyes widened in shock. "What? Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Nancy said. "He just scared me a little."

"What did he do?" Joe asked.

"He snuck into my room and he threatened me. He said I need to drop my story or he'll come back and kill me." Nancy said.

"And you're going to do that, right?" Frank asked.

"Yes." Nancy answered.

Frank looked at her confused. "I'm sorry. I was expecting an argument from you."

"You're not getting one from me right now." Nancy said.

"You're not one to scare easy, Nan." Joe said. "So, what's the plan?"

Nancy smiled at Joe. "I'm going to the police and tell them that I imagined it all. I'll blame it on pain and medication. If he sees that the police are no longer investigating then, hopefully, he'll back off of me."

"And what about us?" Frank asked.

"I don't think he knows that I'm a detective. And I know for sure that he doesn't know you two are." Nancy said. "He killed a woman in cold-blood. He can't get away with that. And I'm not going to let him."

"You're taking a dangerous gamble here, Nancy." Frank said. "And I don't like you all alone."

"Frank's right, Nancy." Joe said.

"I know it is." Nancy said."But he needs to be punished for what he did."

Frank sighed. "All right. Joe and I both know there's no way to talk you out of this. So, do you have this guy's name? Maybe we can find something on him."

Nancy nodded. "Eric Warren. But there's a small problem."

"What's that?" Joe asked.

"He happens to be an old friend of Luke's from high school." Nancy said.

"You sure know how to keep things interesting." Joe said.

"That's why Luke is mad at me. I told him what happened last night. He doesn't want to believe that his friend can be capable of this." Nancy said.

Frank stood up. "We'll go see what we can find out on Eric and if anything has turned up on missing persons."

Nancy nodded. "Call me as soon as you find anything out."

"That goes the same for you." Frank said.

Nancy walked with them to the door and watched as they left. She prayed that she was doing the right thing.

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"So, what do you think about all of that?" Joe asked when they got back into their car.

"I don't like any of it." Frank said.

"This guy must mean business if he's willing to sneak into her room in the middle of the night." Joe said.

"I know," Frank said. "And that scares me. It makes me think that he's unstable and you can't predict people like that."

"She'll be okay, Frank." Joe said.

"I don't know, Joe. Sure, she's going to tell the police that she made it all up, but she still wants to pursue it herself. She thinks that will make everything okay. What I worry about is what he will do if he finds out that we're detectives and that we're trying to put him away ourselves." Frank said.

"You still think he'll go after her." Joe said.

"She was a witness to a murder." Frank said.

"We'll just have to keep a closer eye on her." Joe said.

"How?" Frank asked.

"We could watch Luke's house." Joe said.

"Maybe." Frank said.

"Well, unless you come up with another idea, that's all we have." Joe said.

"I don't have any." Frank said. He parked the car in front of their motel room. "Let's get our stuff and set up while she's talking to the police."

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"Are you ready to go to the police?" Luke asked coming in the door of his house.

"I didn't think that you would want to take me." Nancy said.

"I just want to know the truth." Luke said.

Nancy nodded and walked to his truck. They rode in silence the whole way there. When Luke pulled up to the police station and parked, he looked at Nancy.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" he asked.

"You mean am I sure that I don't want someone to kill me as I sleep?" Nancy joked.

Luke just looked at her.

"Yes, I'm sure." Nancy said. "Let's just go in there and get it done before I change my mind."

"Okay." Luke said, taking his keys out of the ignition.

He and Nancy went into the police station and were immediately let in to see Sheriff Vaughn.

"How are you felling, Nancy?" she asked.

"Much better." Nancy said.

"Good." Vaughn smiled. She then looked down at something she had written on a piece of paper. " I have the sketch artist coming in about an hour. The sooner we can get a sketch out on this guy, the better."

"Actually, I need to talk to you about that." Nancy said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I've been thinking about everything that I told you yesterday, and the more that I think about it, the more unbelievable it sounds to me." Nancy said.

"What are you saying, Nancy?" Vaughn asked.

"I'm saying that I may have imagined it all. I mean, I was in pain and the doctor had me on medication for it. Maybe it was playing with my head and I dreamed it all." Nancy said.

Vaughn stared at Nancy for a long moment. "I don't believe you," she finally said.

"I'm telling you the truth." Nancy said.

Sheriff Vaughn shook her head. "No. I think something happened to make you change your story."

Nancy was at a loss for words. _Was I really that unconvincing? _

A knock at the door gave Nancy a much needed distraction. She turned around to see a deputy poke his head in.

"Can I help you, Andrews?" Sheriff Vaughn asked.

"Sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but this just came in for you." Andrews said holding up a manila envelope.

Sheriff Vaughn took it from him and he left the office.

"Excuse me," she said to Nancy and Luke. She opened the envelope and began to read over the papers that were in it, frowning. She then looked up at Nancy.

"Care to stick with your original story, Nancy?" Vaughn asked.

"Why?" Nancy asked.

"Missing persons just came back." Vaughn said. "Last night, a young woman by the name of Madelyn Fields was reported missing by her parents."

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**Author's Note: Well, folks, here's another chapter down. Again, thank you for all of your reviews. I deeply appreciate every one of them. Let me know what you think of this one.**


	9. There Goes the Plan, Fred

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Nancy felt herself start to panic, which was something rare for her to do. She had always kept her cool, but now she felt that she was losing it. Her plan was not going to work; it was going all wrong. She didn't think that a missing persons would come in that fast. But she was wrong–she had been wrong about it all. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing.

"Are you okay, Nancy?" Sheriff Vaughn asked, concern written all over her face.

"I–I need some water." Nancy said softly.

"I'll get it." Luke said. He got up and went outside the office. He returned a few seconds later and handed her the small paper cup. Nancy took it from him and gulped it down.

"Thank you." she said. "May I see that report?"

Sheriff Vaughn hesitated. "I'm not supposed to let citizens see official reports, but considering you're the one who dropped this case into our laps, I don't see where a peek would hurt."

Nancy took the file from her and began to read it over. When she finished it, she laid it back down on Vaughn's desk.

"That's Maddie." Nancy said, softly.

"Are you sure?" Vaughn asked.

Nancy nodded her head.

"Okay." Vaughn said. She picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Bob, get me the Holly Springs sheriff on the phone."

"What are you doing?" Nancy asked.

"I'm calling the station where the missing persons popped up." Sheriff Vaughn said, covering the mouthpiece with her hand.

"You can't do that." Nancy said.

"Why not?" Vaughn asked.

"Please, you have to trust me on this." Nancy said.

"I want to, Nancy, but you're not telling me everything. Now, I have two panicked parents, awaiting word on their missing daughter and if I can give them a little piece of mind, I am." Sheriff Vaughn said, calmly.

"I want to tell you everything. Really, I do. But I don't want anyone else to get hurt." Nancy said.

"How about you let me decide that?" Vaughn asked.

Nancy hesitated. Then she felt Luke grab her hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

"He said he'd kill me if I kept the police involved." Nancy said.

"You've been in contact with the killer?" Sheriff Vaughn asked. She hung up the phone and gave Nancy her full attention.

"Kind of hard not to when he shows up in your bedroom in the middle of the night." Nancy said.

"What did he say? Who is he?" Vaughn asked.

"He said to drop everything or he would come back and kill me." Nancy said.

"How did he get into your bedroom without you noticing?" Sheriff Vaughn asked.

"I don't know. I searched the door and the window and they weren't forced open. All I do know, is that he's serious." Nancy said.

"What's his name? We can put out an APB on him." Vaughn said.

"No." Nancy said firmly. "I'll tell you his name, but you can't put out an APB."

"Nancy, we have to find him." Vaughn said.

"I know." Nancy said. "Isn't there a way we can do this quietly?"

"You really think he'll do something to you?" Sheriff Vaughn asked.

"I think the past two nights prove that." Nancy said.

"All right. We'll work this as quietly as we can. But I can't promise you anything, Nancy." Vaughn said. "In the meantime, I'll keep someone posted at Luke's house."

"No," Nancy said.

"Are you sure?" Vaughn asked.

"I'll look out for her." Luke said.

"All right," Vaughn said. "What's his name?"

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When Nancy and Luke got back out to his truck, she dug her cell phone out of her purse and saw that she had two messages on her phone. She played them and heard that they were both from Frank. Nancy dialed him up and he answered on the first ring.

"Where are you?" he asked when she greeted him.

"Leaving the police station." Nancy said. "Where are you?"

"Luke's." Frank answered.

"What are you doing there?" Nancy asked.

"We'll explain when you get here." Frank said.

"Okay." Nancy said and hung up the phone.

"Anything wrong?" Luke asked.

"No," Nancy said. "Frank and Joe are at your house, though."

"Why don't they just stay there?" Luke asked.

"What?" Nancy asked.

"They're over there every chance they can get. Besides, they can watch over you better than anyone else could. You trust them. And they'll be able to protect you." Luke explained.

"Are you sure it will be okay?" Nancy asked.

"If it keeps you safe, then yes." Luke said, smiling at her.

Nancy smiled her thanks to him. He pulled into his driveway and Nancy saw Frank and Joe sitting on the trunk of their car.

"How long have you been here?" Nancy asked when she got out of the truck.

"Fifteen minutes." Frank said. "How did it go?"

"Let's go inside and talk." Nancy said.

"I needed to talk to you about something first." Frank said.

"It's okay, Frank. We can talk in front of Luke." Nancy said.

Frank hesitated, but Nancy gave him a stern look. He sighed and reluctantly followed them inside the house. Luke went into the kitchen to get everyone a soda. When he had handed them out to everyone, Nancy began.

"First off, let me say something to Luke." Nancy turned to look at him. "There's something I haven't told you about Frank and Joe. They're detectives–like me."

Luke looked at the three of them in turn and nodded. "That explains some things."

"That doesn't leave this house." Nancy said. "I don't want anyone else to know and I don't want it getting back to Eric."

"I won't tell anyone." Luke promised.

"Good." Nancy said. She turned to Frank and Joe. "So did you guys find out anything?"

"Not much." Frank admitted.

"But we did get word back on missing persons." Joe said, pulling out a sheet of folded paper from his pocket.

"Let me guess," Nancy said. "Madelyn Fields from Holly Springs."

"How did you know?" Frank asked.

"It came to the sheriff when I was talking to her." Nancy explained.

"So, what happened at the station?" Frank asked.

"Sheriff Vaughn knew I was lying when I told her I imagined it all. And the missing persons coming in didn't help me at all." Nancy said.

"So, they're not dropping it?" Joe asked.

"Nope." Nancy said. "If anything, they're going to pursue this even harder."

"There goes your plan." Joe said.

"Tell me about it." Nancy said, rolling her eyes.

"So, what are you going to do?" Frank asked.

"Sheriff Vaughn promised me they would go about the investigation quietly. So I guess we'll have to wait and see." Nancy said.

"Frank and I want to watch this place." Joe said. "We don't like him coming after you and us not being able to do anything about it."

"What are you going to do?" Nancy asked.

"We'll sit across the street in our car and watch the house." Frank said.

"I have a better idea." Nancy said.

"What's that?" Joe asked.

"How about you just stay in the house. I have another spare bedroom." Luke said.

"I don't know." Frank said.

"You can help Nancy more if you're inside rather than outside. And the bedroom is right next to hers." Luke said.

"It's a lot better than our idea." Joe said. "Besides, it's not like we have a bathroom in our car."

"Come on, Frank." Nancy said. "Luke's offering his help here."

"All right." Frank said. "I will admit it's better than our plan."

"Good." Nancy said.

"We just have to go out to the car and get our stuff." Frank said.

When Frank and Joe went outside, Nancy turned to Luke. "Did I happen to say thank you for doing this?"

"No, I don't think so." Luke said, teasing.

Nancy smiled at him. "Thank you."

Luke smiled at her in return. For a moment, their eyes met and they gazed at each other. Luke then leaned in slowly until their lips met in a soft kiss. Nancy broke it off and smiled.

"Wow." she whispered.

"You're welcome." Luke said.

Nancy leaned towards him and they began to kiss again, this time with a little more passion. At that moment everything that had happened escaped from her mind except Luke and what a great kisser he was.

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**Author's Note: Well, I have given some of you what you wanted–Nancy and Luke. It was my original intention before I even started writing this story. I am all for Frank and Nancy, but I think they need a little turmoil every now and then. Well, tell me what you think!**


	10. Caught in the Act

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When Frank walked back into the house, what he saw in the living room caught him completely off guard. He couldn't believe it. _Nancy was kissing Luke. _He felt a sharp pain go through his heart.

But then he caught himself. _What was he doing just staring at them? _He was acting completely immature. He hadn't completely closed the door, so he quietly backed out and closed the door softly.

Luckily, Joe was already in the house so he couldn't see what Frank was doing. He waited a few seconds and then made as much noise as possible opening the door. He knew he was being completely childish but he didn't want Nancy to know he had seen her kissing Luke.

When he walked into view of the living room, they had broken apart and were looking at him. He saw Nancy rub her lips.

"Sorry about all of the noise." He said. "I tripped over my feet."

"It's okay." Nancy said. "Luke and I were just talking."

_Kissing, _Frank thought to himself. He felt another pang hit him. She had lied to him and for some reason that hurt more than seeing her kiss Luke.

"Where's the room?" Frank asked, wanting to get away from them.

"Upstairs. First room to the right." Luke said.

"Thanks," Frank said and walked back upstairs.

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Nancy watched Frank as he walked upstairs. _Had he seen her and Luke kissing?_ she wondered. They had pulled apart as soon as they heard him coming in the door, but she couldn't be sure. She thought she had witnessed a pained expression on his face. If so, he had been quick to cover it up.

Nancy looked at Luke and bit her lower lip. She could feel herself begin to blush.

"Are you all right?" Luke asked.

Nancy nodded and gave a faint smile. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Luke said. "Do you regret kissing me?"

"No," Nancy said. "It was wonderful. It's just–"

"Frank." Luke finished for her.

"Yeah." Nancy said. "I know I shouldn't worry about it, but we have a history together."

"You care for him, Nancy." Luke said. "It's perfectly natural for you to feel this way."

"I do care for him." Nancy said. "But we never acted on anything and I know I'm free to do whatever I please. I just feel like I'm dangling this in front of his face."

"If you're worried about me being upset by any of this, don't be." Luke said. He took her hand and held it. "I like you, Nancy. And I think you like me too."

"I do." Nancy said.

"Good. Then don't care what Frank or anyone else thinks of this or says of this if it makes you happy." Luke said. "I haven't met anyone like you in a while and I'm happy now. So let's not spoil it by any of this talk about hurting anyone's feelings."

Just then a low grumbling filled the air and Nancy started to laugh.

"I'm sorry. I think my stomach has something to say." she said.

"Well, let's fix that right now." Luke said. "I'm about to introduce you to a Luke Medina specialty."

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Joe looked on in surprise when Frank threw the door open to their room. He threw his duffel bag onto the floor and sat down in the bed.

"Problems, Frank?" Joe asked.

Frank just looked at Joe in disgust.

"Before you really start to enjoy the go-to-hell look you're giving me, maybe you want to tell me if I'm the cause of it." Joe said.

Frank sighed. "It's not you, Joe. You just happen to be the unfortunate victim."

"So, what's going on?" Joe asked.

"Let's just say Luke has a new way of healing Nancy." Frank said.

"English, please." Joe said.

"I saw them kissing. But of course I had to act like I didn't. And then Nancy tells me they were just talking." Frank said.

"Do you honestly think she would just come out and say they were kissing?" Joe asked.

"No, I guess not." Frank said.

"Frank, give her credit. She just separated from Ned and it's not like you're jumping at the chance to be with her. You're still with Callie. Be supportive if her and happy for her. She's beginning to move on with her life." Joe said.

"Thanks a lot, little brother." Frank said.

"Hey, you didn't ask for the pep talk so I gave you the you-need-to-get-over-it talk." Joe said.

They both looked up when a knock sounded on the door. Luke poked his head in.

"I'm about to put some steaks on the grill if you want to help." Luke said.

"Sure thing." Joe said. "I'm starving."

Joe looked at Frank and he stood up.

"You better let me help you, Luke." Frank said. "If you let Joe help, you'll be eating charcoal steak."

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Luke had a huge grill set up on his back porch, so they all sat outside, cutting up while he grilled steak and potatoes. Since it was such a beautiful day out, they decided to eat there as well.

They all ate and laughed while they told embarrassing stories about each other and themselves. They carried on for hours and finally around nine o'clock they carried the dishes inside and cleaned up.

When they were done Nancy stretched her arms over her head and yawned. "I hate to be a party-pooper, but I think I'm going to call it a night. You guys have worn me out."

"You were right there with the best of us." Luke said.

"You would blame it on us, wouldn't you, Nancy?" Joe said.

Nancy smiled and threw a throw pillow at him. He caught it right before it hit him in the face. "You make such an easy target, Joe."

"Good night." Nancy said.

Frank watched her as she made her way up the stairs. When she was out of earshot, het let out a big yawn.

"I think I'm going to hit the sack, too." Frank said.

Joe looked pointedly at Frank and Frank shot him a look that told him to back off. Joe just didn't understand that he had to talk to Nancy.

"Hey, aren't the Yankees playing tonight?" Joe asked.

"Yankees?" Luke said, scoffing. "Man, it's Boston all the way."

Frank heard the game come on as he walked upstairs. He stopped at Nancy's door and tapped lightly. She opened the door and smiled at him.

"Hey, you." she said.

"Hey." Frank said. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." Nancy said and opened the door for him. He watched as she walked around without the crutches.

"Did you ditch the crutches?" he asked.

"They were more trouble than they're worth." Nancy said. She sat down on the edge of her bed. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Frank took a deep breath. _This wasn't going to be easy. _"What's the story with you and Luke?"

"Excuse me?" Nancy asked, taken aback.

"You two seem to be getting quite chummy." Frank replied.

"Frank, please tell me you did not come up here to talk to me about Luke." Nancy said.

"Actually, I did." Frank said. "Well?"

"Does it matter if we are?" Nancy asked.

"I just want to know." Frank said.

"Why?" Nancy demanded.

"Please, just tell me." Frank said.

"Unbelievable!" Nancy said. "And if you must know, yes, we are getting to be close."

"Be careful, Nan." Frank warned.

"Not this again, Frank. I thought we had ended this discussion." Nancy said.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." Frank said.

"No, you just don't want to see me with anyone else. Guess what, Frank?" Nancy didn't wait for an answer. "I don't care. I am sick and tired of waiting for you. I have a life too, you know. And every aspect of it does not revolve around you and I do not need the 'Frank Hardy seal of approval'."

"Why did you lie to me about kissing him? Are you ashamed of it?" Frank asked.

"Were you spying on me?" Nancy asked, outraged.

"Well, it was pretty hard not to notice when you two were kissing in the living room for all to see. You should have sold tickets, Nancy. I'm sure you would have had a sold-out crowd." Frank said.

"I will not listen to this, Frank. There isn't anyone that I'm with that you'll ever approve of. And I do not want another repeat of our last argument." Nancy said.

"I don't want to argue either." Frank said.

"You're the one who came up here demanding answers." Nancy said.

"Because I don't trust the guy! There, I've said it again!" Frank said. "Why is he never around when you hear things or when you're attacked in the middle of the night in a bedroom that is directly above his? Huh? Have you even asked him that?"

Nancy stood up and walked past Frank. She opened the door and walked out of her room.

"I'm not listening to this anymore, Frank." Nancy said.

Frank grabbed her arm before she could go downstairs. "I am trying to protect you, Nancy."

"I don't need your protection." Nancy said and tore her arm away from him.

She pulled away from him so hard that she lost her footing. She reached for Frank and he tried to make a frantic grab for her, but it was too late.

All he could do was watch helplessly as she tumbled down the stairs and fell into a heap at the bottom.

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**Author's Note: Well, let's see how many people I just ticked off on this chapter. I can only imagine what the reviews will be. I'm sure a few are even plotting my death. It's suspense, baby! As I said in my last chapter, I am a huge Nancy/Frank fan. Just keep reading and all will be better. I won't promise anything, though, because I'm sure to disappoint someone... **


	11. The Hospital

Joe tried to keep his focus on the game, but he had to admit that it was hard. He was worried about Frank. He knew something was going on when Frank dropped to subject so easily earlier.

Joe didn't know why his brother liked to dwell on things. But he always knew that it was different when it came to Nancy. Frank never overreacted to things with Callie. But with Nancy, it was like he couldn't see past tomorrow. Not that there was anything wrong with that. Joe had great respect for Nancy; he had even come to love her as a sister.

Joe just silently prayed that Frank wasn't going up there to pick a fight with Nancy. He knew that Frank never really trusted Luke from the get-go, but it was no reason for him to take it out on her. It always amazed him how they could fight like cats and dogs one day, and the next go on as if nothing ever happened between them. But his fears were confirmed when he heard shouting coming from Nancy's bedroom.

Luke and Joe just looked at each other uneasily. He figured that Luke had a pretty good idea of what they were arguing about.

"I'm sorry about my brother." Joe said.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about. It's not your fault." Luke said, sighing.

"Still..." Joe said. "My brother tends to get crazy when it comes to her."

"Really?" Luke asked. "I didn't even notice."

Joe chuckled. "He's not exactly the most subtle person in the world."

"So, it's not just me?" Luke asked. "He's like this with everyone she's with?"

"I'm afraid so." Joe said. "And it didn't help matters any when he saw you two kissing."

"Oh. So he did she that." Luke said.

"Yeah. But don't worry about it, man. He'll get over it." Joe said.

They both looked up when they heard Nancy's door get thrown open and the sound of angry footsteps.

"I am trying to protect you, Nancy!" Frank's voice boomed out.

"I don't need your protection!" Nancy's voice cried.

They don't know what happened next. All they heard was a series of thumps and then suddenly it stopped.

"Nancy!" Frank screamed.

He ran down the steps two at a time and knelt down next to Nancy. He looked her over looking for any signs of broken bones. He let out a huge sigh of relief when he saw none. Luckily the steps weren't that steep. She had just been knocked unconscious.

Frank grabbed her in his arms and felt tears spring to his eyes. _Why couldn't I have just left her alone?_ He looked up when he saw Luke and Joe come in from the living room.

"Frank, what happened?" Joe asked.

Frank seemed to be lost. "She fell," he said numbly.

"What did you do to her?" Luke demanded.

"We were talking." Frank said.

"Did you push her?" Luke asked.

"What?" Frank asked, snapping out of his initial shock.

"Did you push her?" Luke asked again.

Frank gently lay Nancy back on he ground and stood up. He was about to say something to Luke when Joe stepped in front of him.

"That's crazy, Luke. Frank would never hurt Nancy."Joe said.

"We just heard them screaming at each other. Who's to say he didn't push her?" Luke asked.

Frank stepped up to him threateningly. "We were talking. I grabbed her arm and she pulled away from me. She lost her footing and she fell. I tried to catch her but it was too late. Now, as much as I would love to continue this little fight with you, I have to get her to the hospital."

Luke stared at Frank as if sizing him up. "I'll call the doc."

"No." Frank said coldly. "I'm taking her to the hospital where professionals can actually check her out. I don't care how far it is."

Frank looked at Luke as if daring him to argue with him. Luke backed away and ran a hand through his hair.

"The closest one is in Fox Hill. About twenty miles past town." Luke said.

"Come on, Joe." Frank said. "Help me get her to the car."

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Frank got into the hospital in ten minutes flat. He scooped Nancy up in his arms and ran into the hospital with her. A doctor came up to him and immediately took over from him. Frank quickly explained what happened and watched helplessly as they wheeled her into an examination room.

Frank walked into the waiting room and sat down. _What had he done? Why did he have to be so jealous? Why couldn't he have left well enough alone?_

He barely looked up when Joe sat down beside him.

"Why did I have to be so stupid, Joe?" Frank asked. "Why do I have to be like this when I'm around her?"

"Don't start blaming yourself for this, Frank. You know she won't. It was an accident, plain and simple. Love cam make you do some pretty crazy things." Joe said.

"But I just kept pushing her." Frank said. "I had no right to do that to her. It's her life, just like she said."

"Well, you can sit here and keep blaming yourself for this, but it's not going to help her any." Joe said. "Everything will work out."

Frank and Joe remained in the waiting room for an hour and a half before a doctor finally came out and talked to them. Frank stood up and looked at the doctor expectantly.

"My name is Doctor Mars." He said. "She's going to be okay. She has a pretty nasty bump on her head. But I was concerned about a couple of other things. Did something else happen to her in the past few days?"

"She was involved in a car accident a couple of days ago." Frank said.

"And she wasn't brought to a hospital?" Dr. Mars asked.

"She had the accident in Huntingdon. The town doctor just looked her over." Frank explained.

"Figures." Dr. Mars muttered. "She had a mild concussion so we want to keep her over night just to make sure that everything is okay. We also put a temporary cast on her leg, just to give it a little more support."

"Can we see her now?" Frank asked.

"Sure. They're putting her in a room right now. But don't stay too long because she needs to rest." Dr. Mars said

"Thank you, Doctor." Joe said.

He and Frank took the elevator up to the second floor and walked to the nurses' station. They found out Nancy's room number and made their room to 208. A nurse was leaving the room when they got there.

Joe watched as Frank hesitated at the door.

"Go in, Frank." Joe said. "If it will make it any better I'll stay out here."

Frank shook his head. "No. You come in, too. You may be a good distraction."

Joe stepped in front of Frank and opened the door to Nancy's room. She was lying in her bed with her eyes closed. The only sounds in the room were the heart monitor and Nancy's steady breathing. Frank took her hand and her eyes fluttered open.

"Frank." she said softly.

"Hey," he said with a small smile. "Nancy, I am so sorry about this. I never meant for you to get hurt."

"It's okay." Nancy said. "We were both angry and it was an accident."

"Hey, this isn't too bad of a room here." Joe commented. "A lot better than the motel room we were staying at."

Nancy smiled at Joe. She knew he was trying to break the mood and ease the tension.

"Well, maybe we should find a way to put you in here too." Nancy said.

"Maybe a little later." Joe said. "So, do the doctors still agree that you have a hard head?"

"Hard as a rock." Nancy said. "I couldn't bear to tell them how many times I've actually been knocked out. I think I would have been a case study for them."

"They could put all three of us on exhibit." Joe said.

"Did they happen to tell you how long they want to keep me here?" Nancy asked.

"Overnight for sure." Frank said.

Nancy made a face.

"Look on the bright side, Nan." Joe said.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Maybe you'll be lucky enough to skip out on the hospital gourmet they treat you to." Joe said.

Nancy rolled her eyes at Joe.

"Listen, we're going to let you get some rest. But we'll be right outside the room if you need us." Frank said.

Nancy nodded and yawned. "Okay."

Frank leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Sleep well, Nan."

Nancy turned on her side and closed her eyes. Frank turned off the light and left her to sleep peacefully.

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Frank and Joe dozed on and off in the uncomfortable chairs outside Nancy's room. Frank got up several times during the night and wandered around the hospital. He did anything to get his mind off of Nancy falling down the stairs. She had forgiven him for it, but he still felt guilty about it.

Frank poked his head in Nancy's room around seven the next morning and saw that she was still sleeping. When he walked back out of her room, he saw Luke walking towards them.

"Is she okay?" Luke asked.

"She's going to be fine." Frank said. "She just had a mild concussion and they put her leg in a temporary cast."

"Good." Luke hesitated. "I owe you an apology, Frank. I never should have went off on you like that. It was stupid of me to think that you would push her down the steps. I was just angry."

"It's okay." Frank said. He held out his hand and Luke shook it.

"Anyway, I just wanted to bring you Nancy's cell phone in case the sheriff called." Luke said, handing it to him. "And this." Luke produced a bouquet of flowers from behind his back.

"Did you want to go in and see her?" Frank asked.

"I have to get to the store." Luke said. "Just tell her the flowers are from me and that I'll see her later."

"Okay." Frank said.

"Thanks." Luke said.

Frank watched Luke walk away .He wondered why Luke wouldn't want to go in and see Nancy. He was distracted when Nancy's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he said.

"Who is this?" a female voice asked.

"Frank Hardy." He said. "Who is this?"

"This is Sheriff Vaughn. May I speak to Nancy?"

"She can't talk right now. But I can give her a message for you." Frank said.

"I'd rather just talk to her." Vaughn said.

"Is this about the murder she witnessed?" Frank asked.

"How do you know about that?" Sheriff Vaughn asked, suspicious.

"She told me all about it. I'm one of her good friends." Frank said.

"Where is she?" Vaughn asked.

"She's at the hospital." Frank said. "Look, if you don't believe me, come down here yourself."

"I may just do that." Vaughn said.

"She's sleeping right now." Frank said.

"Just tell her that her story is turning out to be true." Vaughn said.

"What do you mean?" Frank asked.

"We just found the car she saw the night of the murder." Vaughn said.

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**Author's Note: I am so glad that ya'll enjoyed that last chapter. I was kind of nervous when I wrote that one. I like that you are suspicious of everyone, as well you should be...As you can see I didn't kill Nancy off or have her seriously hurt. I would hate myself if I did that. I hope that you liked this chapter and please review.**


	12. Word of Mouth

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**Author's Note: I am so glad that you are enjoying this story. Every time I read my reviews, I see that I have someone new reading it. I am trying to use some of your ideas in my story. You are giving me great inspiration for this story, considering I am writing this as I go. Again, thank you and please continue to review.**

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"She should wake up any time now." Frank said. "Why don't you come here and tell Nancy in person?"

"Maybe you're right." Sheriff Vaughn said. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Frank hung up Nancy's cell phone and Joe looked at him quizzically. Frank just shook his head and they went into Nancy's room. She was sitting up in bed, watching the news.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Joe said, cheerfully.

Nancy smiled at him. "Good morning."

"How are you feeling?" Frank asked.

Nancy shrugged. "I have a slight headache."

"Here," Frank said, putting the bouquet of flowers on her lap. "These are from Luke."

"Oh," Nancy said. She lifted them to her face and sniffed them. "Where is Luke?"

"He said that he had to get to the store." Frank said.

A nurse knocked on the door and brought in a tray of food. "I thought you could use some breakfast." she said.

"Thank you." Nancy said. "Do you know when I'll be released?"

"Doctor Mars will be making his rounds soon." She said. "I'll be back in a little bit to get your tray."

Nancy picked up her fork and began to pick at her food. She made a face as she stabbed at her eggs.

"What's wrong, Nancy?" Joe teased. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Not so much." Nancy said. "But what about you, Joe? You look famished."

"I don't think so." Joe said. "I'd rather take my chances with a block of moldy cheese. I'm going down to the vending machines."

"Bring me something back edible." Nancy said.

Joe held up his hands innocently. "Sorry, Nan. That would go against doctor's orders."

He whistled as he walked out of Nancy's room.

"Does he always have to be like that?" Nancy asked Frank.

"Everyday." Frank said. "Don't worry though. He'll bring you something back. He's not completely heartless."

Nancy pushed away her tray. There was another knock on her door and Sheriff Vaughn walked in.

"Sheriff!" Nancy said, surprised. "How did you know I was here?"

"I just called your phone and your friend told me." She turned to Frank. "Frank Hardy, I presume."

"Yes ma'am." Frank said. "It's nice to meet you."

Nancy looked at Frank. "Why didn't you tell me she called?"

"I didn't want you to ask questions that I didn't have answers for. And I thought it best that Sheriff Vaughn tell you in person what she found." Frank said.

Nancy looked at the sheriff. "So, Sheriff...what did you find?"

"We found the red car that you saw the night of the murder." Sheriff Vaughn said.

"What?" Nancy asked, shocked.

"It was in an overgrown field a couple miles out of town." She explained.

"Did they find anything in it?" Nancy asked.

Sheriff Vaughn shook her head. "Not yet. But we're going over every square in of the car. They were getting ready to tow it off when I was leaving."

Joe walked back into Nancy's room with an armful of snacks from the vending machine. He looked around the room, confused.

"Sheriff, this is my brother, Joe." Frank said. "Joe, this is Sheriff Vaughn."

Joe looked at the sheriff and then looked at the food in his hands. "This isn't for Nancy." He said. "This is all for me."

Sheriff Vaughn smiled at Joe. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

"Hoe many people know about this?" Nancy asked, steering the conversation back to the case.

"Just you three, me, and my guys that are working the case." Sheriff Vaughn said.

"This isn't going to get out, is it?" Nancy asked, a little worried.

"We'll try to keep it as quiet as possible. But this is a small town and people talk, so I can't promise anything." Sheriff Vaughn said.

"You _can _keep it quiet." Nancy said. "You're the sheriff, for crying out loud."

"I understand that." Sheriff Vaughn said calmly.

Frank was looking at the television. A news bulletin just appeared on the screen. It cut to a reporter standing in the field in front of the red car. The car was hooked up to the tow truck.

"Looks like you're too late." Frank said.

Sheriff Vaughn looked up and cursed silently. "That's Rob Wilson." She said disgustedly.

Nancy looked up at the television as Frank turned up the volume.

"Huntingdon police are saying they found a car that a witness claims she saw the night of the supposed murder of a Holly Springs woman. The murder still has not been confirmed and police are still looking for evidence of a murder. Police say they are looking for Eric Warren, a person of interest in the murder..."

Frank turned down the volume and looked at Nancy. She had turned completely pale.

"Oh, my God," she whispered.

"What is this?" Frank exploded.

"Rob Wilson. He has a police radio and follows us to all of our crime scenes." Sheriff Vaughn put her hands to her temples. "I should have seen this coming!"

She looked at Nancy. "I am so sorry about this, Nancy. I didn't even think of this. Someone in the department must have talked to him."

"I have to get out of here." Nancy said.

"The doctor hasn't released you yet, Nan." Frank said.

"I don't care!" Nancy said. "Do you think Eric's going to miss that?" she asked, pointing to the television.

"I will post an officer with you at all times." Sheriff Vaughn said.

"No." Nancy said. "I don't trust your department right now. I'll just take my chances."

Sheriff Vaughn opened her mouth to protest, but shut it quickly.

"My brother and I will be with her." Frank said.

Sheriff Vaughn nodded and pulled out her cell phone. She angrily dialed a number on it. "Ill call you as soon as I find out anything." She told them. Someone apparently answered the phone because Sheriff Vaughn was yelling as she walked out the door. "Who the hell talked to Wilson!"

Her voice faded as she walked down the hall.

Nancy could feel her own anger rising. How could things have gotten so way out of hand?

"We need to get away from here." Frank said.

"He knows my name, Frank." Nancy said. "He'll still come after me no matter where I go."

"I'm going to go see if I can find the doctor." Joe said.

Joe walked out into the hallway and sighed. He had never worked on a case where the police were so incompetent. Nancy had pleaded with them to drop the case and now they had basically just given Eric permission to come back and kill her.

Joe went to the nurses' station and asked them to page Doctor Mars. While he was waiting his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he said.

"Joe Hardy?" A male voice asked.

"Yes. Who's this?" Joe asked.

"Detective David Miller. You sent out an email asking for information on Eric Warren." the man said.

"Yes." Joe said."Please tell me you have something good for me."

"That's why I'm calling." Detective Miller said.

Joe walked out of the hospital so he wouldn't disturb anyone. "So what have you got?"

"Well, in the email you said that he worked in Maine for a time. I ran the name by some people in the police department that I know up there." Miller said. "It seems that Mr. Warren was pretty busy up there."

"What do you mean?" Joe pressed.

"Eric Daniel Warren–he has arrests for trespassing, petty theft, and several misdemeanors. Nothing he didn't have to serve time for. He just had to pay a lot of fines. But there is one other thing that I found that might interest you." Detective Miller said.

"What is it?" Joe asked anxiously.

"It seems that when he was working there, he was also arrested on suspicion of murder." Detective Miller said.

Joe felt as if the wind was knocked out of him. Detective Miller had just told him that Eric Warren, the man Nancy witnessed kill a woman, was arrested in Maine on suspicion of killing someone else.

"Are you sure about this, Detective?" Joe asked.

"Of course I'm sure. I have the file in front of me." Miller said.

"Is there any way you can send me a copy of his file?" Joe asked.

"I don't normally do this, but since your father and I are good friends and I know that this will help your case along, I suppose I could do it." Detective Miller said.

"Great." Joe said. "This will be a big help to us."

"Just give me the address of where you're staying and I'll have it to you by tomorrow." Miller said.

Joe gave him the address to Luke's that Nancy had given them. Joe was about to hang up the phone when another thought occurred to him.

"Detective, Eric wouldn't happen to have any family around here, would he?" Joe asked.

"Um..." Joe could here the rustling of paper as Detective Miller searched through the file. "As a matter of fact he does–a sister that lives in Holly Springs."

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	13. Veronica

When Joe got back to Nancy's room, Doctor Mars was there talking to her.

"Please tell me I'm free to go." Nancy said.

He was looking over her chart. "I don't see why not. All of the tests came back normal and everything went all right last night. I just want you to start taking it easy."

"Thank you so much, Doctor Mars." Nancy said, smiling.

Doctor Mars smiled back at her and then looked at Frank. "I mean it. She needs to take it easy."

"I'll make sure that she does." Frank said.

"Good. I'll go sign the release papers and be right back." Doctor Mars said and left her room.

Nancy got out of bed and went into the bathroom to change into her regular clothes. When she finished, Doctor Mars had returned with her discharge papers.

"Take care of yourself, Nancy." he said. "I want you to return to the doctor in two weeks to get that cast removed."

"I will." Nancy promised.

The nurse brought in a metal cane and Doctor Mars handed it to Nancy. "In the meantime, I want you to use this to move around. You don't need to be applying that much pressure to your leg. And I want you to call me or come back if you have any problems at all." He held out a business card to her.

Nancy took it and looked at it. "Thank you again, Doctor."

Doctor Mars smiled warmly at her. "You're quite welcome."

Frank and Joe helped Nancy to the car since she refused to be wheeled out in a wheelchair. She stretched out on the backseat while Frank and Joe sat up front.

"You've been quiet for too long now, Joe." Nancy commented. "What's up?"

Joe was actually smiling. "I just had a very interesting phone call."

"Well, spill it already." Nancy said. "And please tell me it's something good."

"It is." Joe said. "I had a phone call from one of Dad's friends up in Maine. His name is David Miller–he's a detective up there. We sent an email to him about Eric. He said he asked around and it seems that Eric wasn't on his best behavior while he was working there."

"What are you talking about?" Nancy asked.

"He had several arrests on his record–trespassing, petty theft, and some other minor stuff. We'll have more details when I get the case files tomorrow." Joe said.

"Where's the good news, Joe?" Frank asked.

"Patience is a virtue, brother." Joe said.

"Patience took a vacation and won't be back for another two weeks." Frank said.

"Get to it already, Joe." Nancy said.

"Geez, have you guys ever heard of building suspense in a story?" Joe asked.

"_Joe!"_ Nancy and Frank said in unison.

"Guess not." Joe commented. Nancy raised her hand as if she was about to slap him up side his head. "Eric was arrested on suspicion of murder." He said quickly.

"You're kidding." Frank said.

Joe shook his head. "Nope.Detective Milleralso told meEric has a sister in Holly Springs."

"Holly Springs?" Nancy repeated.

"Yeah. Why?" Joe asked.

"Holly Springs is where that missing persons came from." Nancy said.

"Really?" Joe asked, intrigued.

"Well, that certainly makes things a little more interesting." Frank said.

"And it can't be a coincidence." Nancy said.

"You're right." Frank agreed.

"Do you guys have a map?" Nancy asked.

Joe opened the glove compartment and pulled out a folded map of Pennsylvania. He handed it to Nancy and she folded it out across her lap. She saw that Holly Springs was two counties over.

"Hey, Frank. Take a detour." Nancy said. "We're going to Holly Springs."

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In an hour and a half, Frank was driving down a residential neighborhood. He stopped in front of a nice, small white house with blue shutters.

"Hereit is." Frank said.

Nancy, Frank and Joe walked up the sidewalk to the door and Frank rang the doorbell. A young woman with long, dark hair and blue eyes opened the door, followed by a black pug. She looked at them, confused.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes." Nancy said. "Are you Eric Warren's sister?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. My name in Veronica. Who are you?"

"My name is Nancy Drew. And these are my friends, Frank and Joe Hardy. May we come in?" Nancy asked.

Veronica eyed them warily. But then she stepped back and let them in. She led the way to the living room, followed closely by her little dog.

"That's a cute dog." Nancy said. "What's his name?"

"That's Roscoe." Veronica answered, smiling. "You can pet him if you'd like."

Nancy held out her hand to him and he sniffed it. He then started to wag his tail and let Nancy pet him.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Veronica asked.

"No, thank you." Frank said for them.

Veronica sat down on a small recliner. "So, what has Eric done now?"

Nancy, Frank and Joe exchanged uneasy glances.

"Did I say something wrong?" Veronica asked.

"No." Nancy said. "I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to come right out and say it. We think Eric may be involved in a murder."

If Nancy was waiting for a surprised reaction from Veronica, she didn't get one. Instead, Veronica just shook her and head and gave a small chuckle.

"You're not surprised by this." Nancy said. "How come?"

"Nothing my brother does surprises me anymore." Veronica said. "I learned that years ago."

"What do you mean?" Frank asked.

"My brother has been in trouble since the day of his graduation. Our parents were killed in a car accident eight years ago and I've had to take care of him. He took it hard and ever since he's been in one form of trouble or another." Veronica explained.

"Has he gotten help?" Joe asked.

"Are you kidding?" Veronica asked. "I've tried so many times to get him the help that he needs. We have been through so many doctors that it's not even funny. He would see them a few times and then just stop. He would say that he was better and then land in trouble again."

"Do you think he was better?" Nancy asked.

"I think it's going to take a long time for Eric to get better." Veronica answered sadly. "He would get upset every time I brought the subject up. So I thought it best if I just dropped it altogether. When he's ready to talk and get help, he'll let me know."

"Has Eric ever been violent towards anyone?" Nancy asked.

"I suppose you heard about the arrests up in Maine?" Veronica asked. She didn't wait for them to answer. "He told me that he had nothing to with that murder. And I believed him. My brother has never hurt anyone before. But after you told me he may be involved in another murder, I just don't know."

Veronica then finally noticed Nancy's leg. "Did he do that to you?"

Nancy shook her head. "I had a car accident."

"Nancy witnessed him kill another woman. When he found out that she knew, he threatened to do the same to her." Frank explained.

"Oh, Nancy!" Veronica gasped. "I am so sorry."

"It's okay." Nancy smiled to reassure her. "We just don't want him to hurt anyone else. The police still aren't sure that a murder _has _been committed. They're still looking for evidence, but haven't found any so far."

"I don't want him to hurt anyone else either. And I'll help any way that I can." Veronica said. "He doesn't come around town that much and when he does he stays with me. But like I said–I've pretty much given up on Eric. Don't get me wrong though–I love my little brother. He's the only family that I have left. But I cannot keep bailing him out when he's in trouble."

Nancy smiled. "I understand." She stood up and walked over to the mantle where several pictures stood.

"Is this your family?" she asked, pointing to one.

Veronica stood up beside her. "It was taken a week before my parents were killed."

Nancy looked at the others and did a double-take when she came to the last one.

"Is that Luke Medina?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah. He's a good friend of mine." Veronica said.

Nancy looked at the girl in the picture that was standing beside Luke. The girl looked vaguely familiar...and that's when it hit her.

"Veronica, who is that girl in the picture with Luke?" Nancy asked.

"Oh, that's my best friend. She was the one who actually introduced me to Luke. They actually dated for a few years." Veronica explained.

"What's her name?" Nancy asked, dreading the answer.

"Her name is Madelyn Fields." Veronica said.

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	14. Heated Words

**Author's Note: You loved that twist I threw in there, huh? Now I just have to figure it out myself...Oh well, that's the fun part of this. As always, thank you for the reviews and just keep them up!**

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"Oh, my God." Nancy said, breathlessly. Frank and Joe got up and stood behind Nancy to look at the picture that had completely drained her face of color.

"It can't be." Frank said.

"It is." Nancy said. "Why didn't he say anything to me?"

Veronica was staring at them, completely bewildered. "Does someone want to tell me what's going on here?" she asked.

Nancy couldn't take her gaze off of the picture._ Why didn't he tell me he knew Maddie? _she wondered.

"Nancy, what is going on?" Veronica asked.

Nancy finally looked at Veronica and inwardly cringed. How was she going to tell Veronica that her best friend had been murdered? She tried to think of something to say, but her mind drew a complete blank.

Nancy finally found her voice. "Veronica...Madelyn is the girl I witnessed Eric murder the other night," she said softly.

Veronica shook her head in shock. "That's not possible."

"It is possible," Nancy said. "And it also happens to be true."

"No," Veronica whispered. She slowly sat down in her chair and looked up at Nancy. "I would know if my best friend was murdered. Someone would have told me."

"They haven't even found her body yet." Nancy said.

"Please don't refer to Maddie like that." Veronica said, sharply.

"I'm sorry." Nancy apologized. And she meant it. She knew this couldn't be easy to listen to–she was having a hard enough time tell Veronica. "Her parents filed a missing persons report a couple of days ago. The police have been searching for her ever since."

"Are you sure it was Maddie that you saw?" Veronica asked.

"I am absolutely sure it was Maddie." Nancy said. "I would have never told you this if I didn't know it wasn't"

Veronica wiped the tears that had fallen down her cheeks and stood up. "I don't mean to be rude, but I really need to be alone right now."

Nancy nodded her understanding. "I really am sorry, Veronica."

"I know." Veronica said. "Thank you."

Nancy looked at Veronica sadly. She really felt sorry for the woman. Her best friend had been murdered and her brother was the lead suspect in the crime.

"We'll let you know if we find out anything." Nancy said.

Veronica nodded and opened the door for them. They filed out and she shut the door softly behind them.

Before Nancy walked away, she could hear Veronica sobbing behind the door.

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"Do you think Veronica will be okay?" Joe asked as Frank pulled away from her house.

"I think she will be eventually. We kind of hit her with everything at once." Frank said, shifting his eyes from the road to glance at Nancy.

"It has to be hard to hear from the complete strangers that your best friend has been killed and your brother is probably the killer." Joe said.

Frank glanced at Nancy again. She was being unusually quiet. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." Nancy said, without looking at him.

Frank didn't try to push her to talk. He knew she had a lot to think about.

Nancy leaned her head against the window and looked outside at the passing homes and trees. Thoughts were swirling in her head all at once.

_How could Luke have not told her about this? How do you forget to mention you used to date the deceased, especially if you dated for a few years? Why would he keep this from her? Did he think she wouldn't find out?_

Nancy closed her eyes and sighed. All of these questions were starting to make her head hurt.

But she did know something...

When she got back to Huntingdon, Luke had better be able to giver her some answers.

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When Frank pulled up to Luke's house, Nancy saw that Luke's truck was parked in the driveway.

"I need to talk to Luke." Nancy said. "_Alone._"

Frank and Joe nodded. They knew that Nancy was upset and it was best of they weren't around when she questioned Luke.

"We're going to go pick up something to eat." Frank said. "We haven't eaten anything all day."

Best idea I heard all day." Joe said.

Nancy gave them a small smile and got out of the car. She looked up to see that Luke was standing on the porch, waiting for her. Nancy took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"Hey," Luke said. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Nancy said. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." Luke said. He opened the door for her and they went inside.

"Where have you been?" Luke asked. "I called the hospital and they said you were released this morning."

"I was." Nancy said. "Frank, Joe, and I decided to take a little trip."

"Where did you go?" Luke asked.

"Holly Springs." Nancy said, watching his face for a reaction. She got a small one and she would take it.

"Holly Springs?" Luke said. "Why would you go there?"

"I don't know, Luke." Nancy said. "_Why _would I have a reason to go there?"

"You've lost me, Nancy." Luke said.

"We found out Eric has a sister up there–Veronica. You know her. She's quite fond of you, if I remember correctly." Nancy said.

"What does Ronnie have to do with any of this?" Luke asked.

"Quit playing stupid, Luke. I'm a detective. I know when I'm being given the run-around." Nancy said. "Why didn't you tell me that you and Maddie used to date?"

"Because I didn't think it was important." Luke said.

"Why not?" Nancy asked.

"Because my personal life has nothing to do with this." Luke said.

"It would have been nice to know." Nancy said.

"Why?" Luke asked.

"Because...I don't know!" Nancy said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"That's not a reason." Luke said.

"Well, I'm sorry." Nancy said. Then she stopped. "Wait, why am I apologizing?"

"I still don't see why you think you needed to know about me and Maddie. Why bring up the past?" Luke asked.

"Because your past was a murder victim! You knew the victim! If the police knew that, _you _would be a suspect in her murder!" Nancy said.

"Are you going to tell them?" Luke challenged.

"Are you worried that I am?" Nancy countered.

"Will you tell me?" Luke asked.

"I don't know. I just need time to think things through." Nancy said.

"Well, let me know so I can get my alibi together." Luke said.

Nancy ignored him. "Tell Frank and Joe I'm not hungry. I'm going to bed."

Before Luke could say anything, Nancy was on her way upstairs.

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"Do you think she'll be okay?" Joe asked as Frank made his way back into town.

"I think the news that Veronica just gave Nancy totally blew her away. She wants to believe that Luke is the good guy because she likes him, but this will cause her to doubt that a little." Frank said.

"Maybe he still is, Frank." Joe said.

"Why are you always defending Luke?" Frank asked.

"I'm not." Joe said. "I just don't want Nancy to get hurt and I don't want us to be the cause of it. Just don't go and confront her again. You two don't need another blow-out."

"I know." Frank said. "I don't want another one either."

Joe remained silent as Frank pulled into Bonnie's Chicken Shack.

"I just want what's best for her." Frank said as he got out.

"I know you do, Frank." Joe said as he also got out. "It's what you've always wanted."

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Nancy was fuming when she got back into her room. How could Luke have gone off on her like that? All she did was ask a simple question and he totally blew it out of proportion.

Nancy paced around her room, trying to calm herself down. She then heard a beeping sound and realized it was her cell phone. She pulled it out and saw that she had a message. She played it and found out it was from her father.

"_Hi, honey_." Carson said. "_I'm just calling to check in with you. I haven't heard from you in a couple of days. I'm just worried. Call me when you get a chance._"

Nancy erased the message and then dialed her home number. Carson answered on the second ring.

"Hi, Dad." Nancy said.

"Hi, honey." Carson said. "Where have you been? Why haven't you called?"

Nancy hesitated. _Should she tell him? _Nancy shook her head. She had never lied to her father and she wasn't about to start right now.

"I'm fine, Dad." Nancy said. "I just had a little detour."

"What do you mean?" Carson asked, concerned.

Nancy quickly explained what had happened to her father and he hung on to every word. When she had finished telling him everything, he sighed loudly.

"You make me ten years older every day, you know that?" Carson asked.

Nancy gave a small smile. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"Just promise me you'll be careful from now on and not do anything rash." Carson said.

"I can't promise anything, Dad." Nancy said. "But at least I have Frank and Joe here with me."

"Knowing that allows me to sleep a little easier." Carson said.

Nancy talked to Carson for a few minutes more and then hung up. She lay back on her bed and let out a long breath. The past few days seemed to be catching up with her all at once and she was exhausted.

Nancy closed her eyes just to relax for a bit. She thought her imagination was playing games with her when she heard a noise–until she heard it again. She sat straight up and looked around her room, keeping a cautious eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

"Hello?" Nancy said softly.

_Silence._

"Anyone there?" Nancy asked.

Nancy stood up and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her suspicions were confirmed that she was not alone in the room. And she had a very good feeling who was in the room with her.

Nancy picked up her cane and casually made her way to the door. She had to get out of there–now. Just as her hand reached for the doorknob, a pair of hands grabbed her from behind and shoved her against the wall.

Nancy found herself staring into the cold eyes of Eric Warren.

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	15. The Arrest

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"Don't say a word." Eric hissed into Nancy's ear. He had her pinned with her back against the wall.

Nancy nodded. She tried to divert her gaze from him, but she couldn't get over the hatred that she saw in them.

"Why are the police still investigating this?" He asked. "Don't you remember what I told you would happen if you kept them involved?"

"I told them to drop it." Nancy said. "They wouldn't believe me especially when that missing persons came in."

"You didn't try hard enough." Eric said.

"I did." Nancy said. "I promise you."

"Your promises mean nothing to me!" Eric said. He pushed her roughly to the floor.

Nancy grunted in pain and began to look around for something to use as a weapon.

"Why did you go talk to my sister?" Eric asked, advancing on her.

"How did you know that?" Nancy asked.

"I followed you." Eric said. "Why did you go see her?"

"We found out about your arrest record up in Maine." Nancy said.

"What do you mean _we_?" Eric asked. Then he nodded his head. "Oh, yes. Your two little friends that were with you." He took another slow step towards her.

Nancy scooted back, feeling around blindly for something to use as a weapon. Her hand finally found her cane and that fallen when Eric had grabbed her. She grasped it tightly in her hand.

"How did you get in here?" Nancy asked.

Eric gave her a cold smile. "You know, you really should have Luke do something about that window of yours. You never know when someone can come in uninvited."

"The police will find you." Nancy said.

"I really hope they do." Eric said. "Now, I think we've chatted long enough, don't you?"

As Eric walked towards her, Nancy grabbed her cane and hit him in the legs with it as hard as she could. He fell to the ground, cursing. Nancy quickly got up and stepped over him. She was about to make it to the door when he grabbed her from behind.

"That was stupid, Nancy." He whispered harshly into her ear.

Nancy rammed her elbow into his stomach and he let go of her, gasping for air. Nancy then grabbed her small bedside lamp and crashed it over his head. He fell to the floor, unconscious. Nancy used the cord from the lamp, and tied his hands tightly behind his back. She then grabbed her cell phone off of her bed and called Frank.

"Frank, where are you?" Nancy asked as soon as he answered.

"We're on our way back." Frank answered.

"How far?" Nancy persisted.

"Five minutes." Frank said.

"Make it two." Nancy said and hung up before he could say anything else. She then dialed Sheriff Vaughn.

"He's here." Nancy said.

"Who?" Sheriff Vaughn asked.

"Eric. He's in my room." Nancy said.

"I'll be right there." Vaughn said.

Nancy snapped her phone shut and sat down on her bed. She needed t catch her breath. She finally had Eric–the man that had terrorized her for the past few days. He would finally be arrested and pay for his crimes.

Nancy let out a huge sigh of relief. She felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

_Luke, _she thought. _I need to tell Luke. _

Nancy opened her door and yelled for Luke. He came rushing up the stairs in a panic.

"What is it, Nancy?" He asked, holding her by the shoulders.

"In my room." Nancy said.

Luke let go of her and walked into the room. He stopped short when he saw Eric lying on the floor with his hands tied behind him.

"What is he doing here?" Luke asked. "What happened?"

"He snuck up here." Nancy said. "He was trying to kill me. You didn't hear all of the noise up here?"

"No. But I had to go outside and get something out of the shed." Luke said. He enveloped Nancy in a hug. "Are you okay?"

Nancy nodded her head. "I'm fine."

Luke looked back down at Eric and Nancy saw a look of panic and hatred pass through his eyes at the same time. But before she could say anything to him, Frank and Joe rushed into the room, followed by the sheriff.

"Nancy!" Frank said, rushing over to her. "Are you all right? What happened?"

"Look." Nancy said, pointing to the floor.

Eric was just beginning to stir. Nancy reflexively took a step back and Frank draped a protective arm over her shoulders. Eric looked around the room at everyone staring at him and began to struggle with his bonds.

"Just stay right where you are, Mr. Warren." Sheriff Vaughn said. "The only place you're going to is jail."

Sheriff Vaughn pulled out a pair of handcuffs and hauled Eric up to his feet.

"Eric Warren, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these right as I have stated them to you?"

"Yes." Eric said tersely.

Sheriff Vaughn grabbed him by the upper arm and started to escort him out the door. She looked at Nancy. "We'll need you to come down to the station to give us you statement."

"Of course." Nancy said.

Eric turned to look at Nancy. "You have no idea what you're doing. You're making and mistake and you don't even realize it."

"That's enough, Mr. Warren." Vaughn said and escorted him out of the room.

For the first time, Nancy realized that she was shaking. She felt Frank giver her should a reassuring squeeze.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Let's just go down to the station so I can get this over with." Nancy said.

"Okay." Frank said and Nancy let him lead her out the door.

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When they arrived at the police station, the station was jumping with the news of the capture of Eric Warren. Joe and Luke had decided to stay at the house while Frank went with Nancy to giver her statement to the sheriff. Nancy and Frank made their way into Sheriff Vaughn's office and within five minutes, Sheriff Vaughn was sitting at her desk.

"Have you questioned him yet?" Nancy asked.

"Not yet." Sheriff Vaughn said. 'We were waiting to get your statement first."

She pulled out a form from her desk and wrote down Nancy's statement as she gave it to her. Thirty minutes later, Nancy had giver her every single detail.

"Are you sure that's everything?" Sheriff Vaughn asked.

"Yes. Positive." Nancy said.

"All right." Vaughn said. She stood up and held out her hand to Nancy. "We'll call you as soon as we find out anything from Eric."

"Actually, I was wondering if I could stick around while you question Eric." Nancy said.

Sheriff Vaughn hesitated. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"I agree with the sheriff, Nancy." Frank said.

"I'll stay out of the way." Nancy promised. "I just need to hear what he has to say."

"Fine." Sheriff Vaughn said. "But stay out of the way."

She led the way to the interrogation room and had Nancy and Frank sit on the other side of the two-way mirror where Eric couldn't see them.

Nancy looked into the room and saw Eric sitting with a man who she assumed to be his lawyer. He was middle-aged with dirty blonde hair. She watched as Vaughn sat opposite them and turned on a tape recorder.

"Today is March 21, 2005. This is Sheriff Bethanie Vaughn questioning murder suspect Eric Warren. He has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Madelyn Fields and the attempted murder of Nancy Drew. He has been read his rights and he does have a lawyer present, Bryan Hodges."

"First off, let me say that you do not have enough evidence to hold my client for these crimes, not to mention the fact that you haven't even found Ms. Fields' body. So there is no proof that a murder has even been committed." Bryan said.

"And now that you have made your point perfectly clear, Mr. Hodges," Vaughn said, smiling sweetly at him."How about you let _me _whether we have enough evidence or not."

Bryan gave her a look but didn't say anything. Nancy could see it was clear that they had a history together.

"Good." Vaughn said. "Now, Eric, what were you doing the night of March 18 at around one in the morning?"

"What any other normal person was doing at that hour–sleeping." Eric said.

"Can anyone verify this?" Vaughn asked.

"Do you mean, was anyone sleeping with me at the time–no." Eric said, smugly.

"Quit screwing around with me, Eric." Vaughn said. You're only making it worse on yourself."

She opened the folder that she had brought into the room with her and spread it out in front of her. "Do you want to tell me why you felt the need to sneak into Ms. Drew's room the night after the murder and threaten her as she slept?"

"I didn't want her talking to you." Eric said.

"Why not?" Vaughn asked.

"Because I couldn't afford to get arrested again." Eric said.

"Because of the arrests in Maine." Vaughn said.

"Yeah." Eric grumbled.

"Did you know Madelyn Fields?" Vaughn asked.

"She's my sister's best friend and she used to go out with my best friend." Eric said.

"Did you know her personally, though?" Sheriff Vaughn asked.

"We hung out a few times." Eric said.

"Why did you try to kill Ms. Drew?" Vaughn asked.

Frank felt Nancy tense next to him and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I followed her over to my sister's house. I didn't like her talk to Veronica." Eric said. "And then Ronnie called me and told me that Nancy was saying things that weren't true."

"Like what?" Vaughn asked

"That Maddie was dead." Eric said.

"But that is true." Vaughn said.

Eric just looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"So, that was reason enough for you to try to kill Nancy." Vaughn said.

"Seemed like a god enough reason for me." Eric said.

"Anything else you would like to tell me, Mr. Warren? Like, perhaps, where Maddie's body is?" Vaughn asked.

Eric just looked at her again and remained silent. Sheriff Vaughn sighed, pushed her chair back, and went to where Nancy and Frank were sitting.

"It's like trying to drive a nail through a brick wall." Vaughn said, flustered.

"It's almost as if he's hiding something else." Nancy said.

"Whatever it is, he's not chomping at the bits to tell me what it is." Vaughn said. "Look, it doesn't seem like he's going to tell me anything else, so why don't you two get back to Luke's. I'll call you as soon as we know anything."

"But–" Nancy began.

Frank interrupted her. "She's right, Nan. You really should get some rest."

"You have nothing to worry about, Nancy." Vaughn said. "I have no intention of releasing him."

There was a knock at the door and Deputy Andrews came into the room.

"What is it, Deputy?" Vaughn asked.

"Sheriff, there's something out here you should really see." Deputy Andrews said.

"Well, what is it?" Vaughn asked, impatiently.

"There's a woman out here claiming to be Madelyn Fields." Andrews said.

**Author's Note: Oooohhh...Another cliffie! What will you do with me? Sorry, guys, but I had to do it. It is a twist that even I didn't see coming. Anyways, tell me what you think and all of the ways that you want to hurt me for giving you another cliffie to suffer through until my next update!**


	16. Leaving

Sheriff Bethanie Vaughn was _fuming._

"Is this some kind of joke?" she asked.

Deputy Andrews seemed to shrink down."No ma'am. She says that she's really her."

Nancy and Frank exchanged anxious glances. Sheriff Vaughn looked at Nancy and Frank and then pushed past Deputy Andrews. Nancy and Frank followed closely behind her. When they got into the lobby, Nancy saw a young woman standing in the middle of the bustling room, waiting.

Nancy did a double-take when she saw the woman's face. If that wasn't Madelyn Fields that she was looking at, then she must have a twin that magically dropped down from the sky.

"What is going on here?" Vaughn asked, angrily.

Nancy saw everyone stop what they were doing and stare at Sheriff Vaughn. No one spoke up so the woman stepped in front of her.

"Sheriff, I think there has been some kind of mix-up." The woman said."My name is Madelyn Fields."

Sheriff Vaughn didn't look convinced. "Ms. Fields, I think we need to step into my office so we can talk. Nancy, I want you to come as well."

Nancy looked at Frank and he nodded. "I'll wait right here for you."

Nancy nodded and followed Madelyn and the sheriff into her office.

"Everyone get back to work!" Sheriff Vaughn barked. She slammed her office door, causing the girls to jump. She stood in front of Madelyn, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Ms. Fields, you'll have to forgive me for not believing you and being just a tad angry right now. I am trying to work a murder case and you are making that incredibly hard for me because I now have you here telling me that you are Madelyn Fields. So, I really think you need to start explaining things and explain them well." Sheriff Vaughn said.

"I know." Madelyn said. "And I am terribly sorry I didn't come forward sooner, but I was out of town on a business trip. I just found out about everything."

"Really?" Sheriff Vaughn asked. "And where was this business trip?"

"Pittsburgh." Madelyn answered.

"Do you have any proof of this?" Vaughn asked.

"Of course." Madelyn said. "I can get you the credit card receipts."

"Then why did you parents file a missing persons report on you?" Sheriff Vaughn asked.

"I didn't tell them I was going out of town. They decided to visit me in Holly Springs and when I wasn't there, they kind of overreacted." Madelyn explained.

"Then how is it that Nancy witnessed your murder the other night?" Vaughn asked.

"I don't know." Madelyn said. "I'm sure that it was all just an honest mistake."

"It wasn't a mistake." Nancy said, softly.

"Nancy..." Sheriff Vaughn cautioned.

Nancy ignored the sheriff and looked at Madelyn. "I know what I saw. I'm not blind. I looked out of my window and I watched as you were murdered."

"Well, how do explain the fact that I am sitting here right now if I'm supposed to be dead?" Madelyn asked.

"I don't know." Nancy said. "And if this is some kind of game that you are playing with him, I swear–"

"Watch it, Nancy!" Vaughn cautioned again.

Nancy got out of her chair, walked over to the window and stared outside. Vaughn watched her, concerned and then turned to Madelyn. "Well, if you are, in fact, who you say you are, then I'm sure you won't mind if we fingerprint you."

"Of course not. Especially if it will put this nasty rumor about my death to rest." Madelyn said.

Sheriff Vaughn opened her door.

"Andrews!" she called.

"Yes, ma'am?" Deputy Andrews said.

"Take Ms. Fields up to get fingerprinted." Vaughn said.

"Follow me, please." Andrews said. Madelyn grabbed her purse and followed him out the door.

Vaughn shut the door to her office and turned to look at Nancy. Nancy rubbed her neck and sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be." Sheriff Vaughn said, sitting at her desk. "You were upset and you were just acting on it. Believe me, if I could have done that and not be fired in the process, I would have."

"How can this happen?" Nancy asked.

"I don't know." Vaughn said, sighing.

"This had to be planned." Nancy said. "It's the only logical way to explain it."

"How could he have planned it?" Vaughn asked. "I mean, he would have had to go through a whole hell of a lot of planning to pull this off."

"I know." Nancy said. "That's what worries me."

"Why is that?" Vaughn asked.

"Because if Madelyn Fields is really alive, was this some kind of practical joke? Or is there something much deeper going on?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out." Vaughn said.

"Now you have a bigger problem, though." Nancy said.

"What's that?" Vaughn asked.

"If that woman really is Madelyn Fields, then you can't hold him for murder anymore." Nancy said.

"But I can hold him for attempted murder." Vaughn said.

"I need to get away from here." Nancy said.

"Go." Vaughn said. "I'll call you as soon as I know anything."

Nancy nodded and walked to the door. She had her hand on the doorknob when Vaughn spoke again.

"And Nancy?" Vaughn said.

Nancy turned around to look at her.

"Try not to worry too much." Vaughn said.

Nancy walked out of the office and where Frank was waiting for her. _How could I not worry about this? _she thought. _He's tried to kill me once, so what's to stop him from doing it again?_

"Not to sound like a broken record, but are you okay?" Frank asked.

"Let's just get out of here." Nancy said.

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Frank tried to get Nancy to talk to him on the way back to Luke's, but she remained silent. He knew that everything was just piling up on her, and he was worried about that. That had never been on a case that had so many twists and turns and it was just bringing them all down. What was bad is that they had the culprit–right from the beginning. It should have been an open and shut case, but it was anything far from it.

When Frank finally pulled up to Luke's house, Nancy got out of the car and went straight to her room. She didn't even say a word to Joe and Luke, who were sitting in the living room watching one of many reality shows that were on TV these days.

"What's going on with Nancy?" Joe asked.

Frank shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. She wouldn't say anything in the car. But we just had a major curve ball thrown at us."

"What happened?" Joe asked.

Frank sat down on the sofa and stretched out his legs. "A woman came into the station claiming to be Madelyn Fields."

"What!" Joe exclaimed.

"Maddie's alive?" Luke asked. Frank looked at him to see that he had turned very pale in the face.

"Supposedly." Frank said. "The sheriff was having a hard time believing it, so they were fingerprinting her when we left."

"I can't believe it." Luke said, almost dazed.

"Neither can we." Frank said.

"Is Nancy okay?" Joe asked.

"I hope so." Frank said, looking up at her closed bedroom door. "She seemed to take the news pretty hard."

"Maybe she just needs time to process everything." Joe said.

"I think it's all starting to wear thin on her. I don't like seeing her like this." Frank said. He looked back at Joe. "I think I'm going to talk to her about leaving tomorrow morning."

Joe looked at his watch. "It already is morning."

Frank looked at his own watch. "I'll let her sleep for a few hours. I think we all need to try to get some sleep."

"I'm going to go out for a drive." Luke said. "I need to clear my head."

Frank watched thoughtfully as Luke grabbed his truck keys and walked out the door. He didn't want to start another fight, but he still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Luke was hiding something.

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Nancy didn't sleep well. She spent most of the time tossing and turning. Whenever she had went to bed, she turned her cell phone to silent. When she got up, she saw that she had one message on her phone. It was from Sheriff Vaughn telling her that the woman at that station was, indeed, Madelyn Fields.

Nancy got dressed and went downstairs to find Frank, Joe and Luke at the kitchen table, drinking coffee. She fixed herself a cup and sat down between Luke and Frank.

"Did you get any sleep?" Frank asked.

"Not really." Nancy said, taking a sip of her coffee. "I got a call from Sheriff Vaughn. She said that the woman that showed up at the station yesterday really is Madelyn Fields."

"How does that explain what you saw the other night?" Frank asked.

Nancy shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. Sheriff Vaughn and I think it could be some kind of prank or something. I'm not even sure if I want to stick around and find out."

"Meaning what?" Frank asked.

"Meaning, I think I'm ready to get back home. I'm just tired of everything and I'm ready to get back to normal." Nancy said.

"Are you sure?" Frank asked.

"Yeah." Nancy said.

"If that's what you really want, then we will." Frank said.

"It is." Nancy said, draining the last bit of coffee out of her cup. "I'm going upstairs to pack."

Nancy put her cup in the sink and then went upstairs to her room. Just as she was walking in, her cell phone started to ring. She answered before it rang a second time.

"Nancy, it's Bethanie." Sheriff Vaughn said.

"Hey, Sheriff. I was just about to call you." Nancy said. She grabbed her duffel bag and put it on her bed.

"Really? Why?" Vaughn asked.

"I'm leaving. It's time for me to get back home." Nancy said.

"I think that may be a good idea." Vaughn said.

"Why do you say that?" Nancy asked, as she started to put clothes into the bag.

"I was calling to tell you that Eric made bail about three hours ago." Vaughn said.

"What? How?" Nancy asked. She stopped packing and sat down on her bed.

"The mayor was breathing down my neck to let him go. There was no murder and he said there isn't enough evidence in the murder attempt on you." Vaughn explained.

"Well, what about my statement?" Nancy asked.

"Bryan Hodges, Eric's lawyer, got the statement thrown out. I should have known he would figure a way around it." Vaughn said, disgustedly.

"You don't seem to like him that much." Nancy said.

"Is it that obvious?" Sheriff Vaughn snorted.

"Oh, yeah." Nancy said.

She heard Vaughn chuckle. "Well, listen Nancy. I'm really sorry that things happened the way they did."

"Don't be," Nancy said. "It's not your fault."

"I feel like it is, though. I feel like I didn't do enough for you." Vaughn said.

"Please don't worry yourself with it." Nancy said.

"Thank you." Vaughn said. "I'll give you a call if we have any other developments."

"Thank you." Nancy said.

"Be careful, Nancy." Vaughn said.

"I will." Nancy said. She hung up the phone and stood up to finish packing. Just as she was starting again, there was a knock at her door.

"Who is it?" Nancy asked.

"It's Luke."

"Come in." Nancy said.

Luke opened the door. "Hey, " he said.

"Hey." Nancy said.

He closed the door and sat down on her bed. "So, you're really leaving, huh?"

"Yeah." Nancy said. "I think I need to."

"I wish you weren't." Luke said. "I like having you here."

Nancy gave him a small smile. He smiled back at her and he took her hand. "I mean it. You're a very special girl, Nancy. I think we have a connection."

"I think we do, too." Nancy said. "But I really think I need to think things through."

"I'm not trying to rush you, Nancy. Please, take your time. Just know that I'm here." Luke said.

Nancy smiled warmly at him. Luke stood up and cupped her face in his hands. He softly kissed her on the lips and then stood back.

"I'll let you finish packing." Luke said. "Let me know before you leave."

Nancy nodded and he left her alone to finish packing. She sat back down on her bed and sighed.

Luke surely knew how to complicate things for her.

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Nancy, Frank, and Joe were finally ready to leave by two o'clock that afternoon. After calling the local auto shop, Nancy arranged to have a tow truck drive her car back to River Heights. They packed everything into Frank and Joe's car and Luke walked Nancy to the car.

"I mean it," he said. "Think about what I said."

"I will." Nancy said.

Luke kissed her on the cheek and Nancy got into the back seat. Frank handed Joe the keys and slid into the passenger sear. Soon, Joe was on the road, driving away from the small town of Huntingdon.

Nancy began to notice that Joe kept glancing the rearview mirror about thirty minutes into the drive.

"What is it, Joe?" Nancy asked.

Joe glanced up in the mirror again. "I think we're being followed."

"What?" Nancy asked. She turned around in her seat to see a blue pick-up following behind about two car lengths.

"That truck has been behind us for about twenty minutes now." Joe said.

"Are you sure?" Frank asked. He glanced out the rear window to see the truck.

"Of course, I'm sure." Joe said, a little irritated.

Nancy looked out the window to see the truck gaining on them. "I think he's right, Frank. That truck is getting closer."

Joe sped up a little as did, the truck behind them. "Do you think we should try to lose them?" he asked.

"Where Joe?" Frank asked. "This long stretch of road that doesn't have any turn-offs."

Before Joe could answer him the truck rammed into the back of the car. The force of the impact made them jerk against their seatbelts. Joe managed to keep control of the wheel and sped up.

The truck hit them again, causing the car to spin.

"Joe, do something!" Nancy screamed.

"I'm trying!" Joe yelled back to her.

The truck drove up to the side of their car and rammed into it. Joe tried to maintain control of the car, but was unable to. The car ran off the side of the road and slammed into a ditch.

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**Author's Note: Well, sorry about the lull in the update! I had one of those cases where I didn't know what to write and where I didn't feel like writing. But I'm better now. Thank you again for all of the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming. I will try to update sooner next time. (But no promises!)**


	17. The Truth of It Is

Nancy let out a huge sigh of relief. Luckily, she hadn't been knocked unconscious after their car hit the ditch. She was just slightly dazed.

Nancy looked up front to see that Frank and Joe were not moving. She silently prayed that they were all right. The force of the impact had been greater for them. She frantically tore off her seat belt and leaned forward in her seat to check on them. They were both breathing–they just appeared to be unconscious.

Nancy finally remembered she had her cell phone in her purse, that was sitting on her seat next to her. She grabbed it out of there and quickly dialed Sheriff Vaughn and explained what happened.

"You were run off the road?" Vaughn asked. "Are you sure it wasn't an accident?"

"Someone hit us from behind and then rammed us on the side." Nancy said, exasperated. "We are in the ditch right now."

"Do you know who did it?" Vaughn asked.

"No." Nancy said. "All I know is that it was a blue pick-up truck. I'm not even sure how many people were in the truck."

"All right. I'll be there in a few minutes." Vaughn said. "Do you need an ambulance?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Nancy said. "Frank and Joe are out of it right now."

"I'll send one. Don't do anything, Nancy. Stay right where you are." Vaughn said.

"There's not anywhere I _can _go." Nancy said. She hung up the phone and checked on Frank and Joe again. They were still out of it, but at least they were still breathing.

Nancy froze when she heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. She looked out the window to see that the blue pick-up was coming back. Nancy tried to steady her breathing. She was sure they weren't coming back to make sure that they were okay. She heard the truck doors open and then approaching footsteps.

Nancy turned towards her door, getting ready to surprise the person that was coming. It would be hard with her leg, but she didn't care. She would do whatever it took. The door opened and Nancy kicked out with her uninjured leg. The guy grunted in pain and grasped his stomach. Nancy's breath caught in her throat when she saw who she kicked.

"Luke!" Nancy said.

"Yeah. Are you okay?" Luke asked.

"I'm fine." Nancy said. "What are you doing here? Why did you run us off the road?"

Luke just looked at her and then looked up. Before Nancy could turn around to see what he was looking at, the other door opened and someone grabbed her from behind. Before she had time to react, Nancy felt a damp, sweet smelling cloth clamp down over her mouth and nose. She tried to struggle, but it was no use.

She saw Luke's face dissolve in front of her as she blacked out.

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When Frank finally came to, he could hear the distant sound of sirens. He looked over at the driver's side to see that Joe was just starting to stir.

"Joe?" Frank said.

"Yeah." Joe said. He shook his head as if to clear it.

"Are you all right?" Frank asked.

"As good as can be right now." Joe said. "What about Nancy?"

Frank turned to look in the backseat and didn't see anything. "Where is she?"

"What?" Joe turned around to look in the backseat. Then he noticed that both of the doors were open in the back. "Maybe she got out to look for help."

Frank didn't answer him. He knew Joe was trying to be optimistic, but he knew better. Something was wrong.

Frank got out of the car as the sirens got closer to them and started to look around. He didn't see any sign of Nancy, but he did spot two different sets of footprints around the back of the car. He felt as if someone poured ice cold water down his back. Nancy wasn't here because she had been taken.

The sheriff's car pulled up beside them and Sheriff Vaughn stepped out. "What happened?" she asked.

"Someone ran us off the road." Frank answered.

Sheriff Vaughn looked over Frank's shoulder. "Where's Nancy?"

"We don't know." Joe said, coming up to where they were standing.

"What do you mean you don't know? She just called me not even fifteen minutes ago." Sheriff Vaughn said.

"She did?" Frank asked.

"Yes." Vaughn said.

"Frank and I were unconscious. When we woke up Nancy wasn't here." Joe explained.

"I found two different sets of footprints near the back of the car." Frank said. He led Sheriff Vaughn to their car and she looked where Frank pointed out the footprints.

"This doesn't make any sense." Vaughn said, shaking her head. "Why would someone run you off the road and then come back to take Nancy?"

"You're right. It doesn't make any sense. I thought that the case was over, that everything turned out to be some kind of prank." Frank said.

"I don't know. I'm putting out an APB for Eric Warren." She called one of her officers over and told him what she wanted. He nodded his head and walked over to one of the squad cars.

Just then a paramedic came over to them and asked Frank and Joe to step over to the ambulance truck. Vaughn walked away and came back a couple of minutes later with a manila folder. She handed it to Joe. "This came for you about an hour ago."

Joe took the folder from her and opened it. It contained all of the arrest reports for Eric from the detective up in Maine. Joe quickly skimmed over the papers and then handed them to Frank, who was finishing up with the paramedic. Joe was looking at a photograph when the paramedic turned to him. He held up his hand and put the picture in front of Frank.

"Frank, look at this picture. Tell me who this is, next to Eric." Joe said.

Frank studied the picture and his eyes widened in recognition. "Where did this picture come from?"

"It was in the file." Joe looked through the papers again and saw some note scribbled on a scrap of paper. "It says here that they were some undercover pictures. He was being followed when he was arrested on the suspicion of murder charge."

"What's going on?" Sheriff Vaughn asked, watching the two of them.

Frank and Joe looked up at her. "Sheriff, did you see any of this stuff in here when you received it?" Joe asked.

"I haven't had time. Why?" Vaughn asked, frowning.

Joe handed her the picture. "Because the people in that picture with Eric are Luke Medina and Maddie Fields."

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When Nancy came to, she felt a dull, throbbing pain in her head. She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes just yet. As a wave of nausea passed over her, she tried to remember what had happened. She, Frank, and Joe had been forced off the road. She remembered that Frank and Joe had been knocked out by the force of the impact. _Had she?_

No.

Her eyes shot open as she remembered seeing Luke come to her car. He had gotten out of the blue pick-up that had run them off the road.

Nancy finally looked around at her surroundings to see that she was at Luke's house, in his living room. She was sitting against a wooden pole with her hands tied behind her back. Nancy struggled with her bonds and found that they were too tight. She slumped against the pole, exhausted. The chloroform still hadn't worn off and she was starting to feel sick again.

"I see that you're awake."

Nancy looked up to see Luke and Eric coming into the living room. Nancy struggled with her bonds again and they just smiled at her. She finally noticed that Luke was holding a small handgun.

"Luke, what are you doing?" Nancy asked, eyeing the gun warily.

He looked at Nancy and gave her a chilling smile. "I'm just tying up some loose ends."

"What are you talking about?" Nancy asked. _Could this _really _be the same Luke that she had met a few days ago?_

"You ruined my plans, Nancy." He said casually.

"What plans? I don't know what you're talking about." Nancy said.

"You should have taken all of the warnings to heart, Nancy. Then we wouldn't be in this mess right now." Luke said.

Luke was confusing her. Nancy had no idea what he meant. All that she did know was that he was different. It was almost as if he underwent an instantaneous change.

"Would you please tell me what it is that I have gotten into? How are you involved in this? I thought it was Eric all along." Nancy said.

"Well, Eric was involved in it. Just not in the way you thought he was. Maddie was supposed to stay murdered, so to speak. That is, until you came along. You ruined everything by witnessing something that never really happened." Luke said.

"So the murder was fake." Nancy said.

"Of course it was. You didn't honestly think that I would murder the woman that I love, did you?" Luke asked. He smiled at Nancy's hurt expression. "We've been pulling this scam all over the country. Maddie would have a huge life insurance policy put on her, and then she would mysteriously turn up dead. Then the grieving husband–that would be me–would collect the money and we would move on to the next place."

"How many times have you done this little scam of yours?" Nancy asked.

"At least a dozen times now." Luke said offhandedly.

"How did you keep pulling it off without the insurance companies getting suspicious?" Nancy asked.

"We had forged documents that looked so real it would fool even the experts. Every town we hit, we had a new identity." Luke explained.

"So, how does Eric fit into all of this?" Nancy asked.

"Every time Maddie was 'murdered', Eric would be arrested for the crime. When the police didn't have enough evidence to pin it on him, they had to drop the charges. We gave him thirty percent of the money that came in to us." Luke said.

Nancy looked over at Eric. He wouldn't look her in the face. He just kept staring at his feet.

"And now we have you to take care of. Huntingdon, our old stomping grounds, would have been our last scam. But then you had your little accident. I would have left you on the side of the road, but I figured that wasn't such a good idea. So I brought you back here. Of course, I didn't know how much trouble you would cause us." Luke explained.

"So why did you take the chance on me?" Nancy asked.

"Call it a slip-up on my part. But I'm about to fix that." Luke turned to Eric. "Get the gas can out of the garage."

Eric gave him a terse nod and left the living room. Luke turned to Nancy and gave her a wicked grin. "If I can't get the money on Maddie, I'll get the insurance on this place. Unfortunately for you, you'll be going down with it."

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"Why would Luke and Maddie be in a picture with Eric?" Joe asked.

The paramedics had finished up with Joe and Frank and they were given a clean bill of health. Now they were desperately trying to figure out things in order to find Nancy.

"They were friends." Frank said.

"Nancy said that Luke acted real surprised to see Eric when he showed up at the diner the other night." Joe said. "But if they were in Maine together, why act like that?"

"Maybe I was right all along." Frank said. "Maybe Luke was in on it."

"Yeah, but 'in on' _what_?" Joe asked.

"I don't know. If we knew that, then everything would be over and Nancy would be here right now." Frank said. He sat down on the back bumper of their wrecked car and put his face in his hands. He was worried sick about Nancy and he partly blamed himself for her disappearance.

"Quit doing that, Frank." Joe said, coming up to sit beside Frank.

"What?" Frank asked.

"It's not your fault. We will find her." Joe said.

"I know. I just feel like I should have done more." Frank said, frustrated.

"You mean while you were unconscious?" Joe said, dryly.

Frank gave him a look.

"Frank!"

Frank looked up to see the sheriff approaching him with her phone. "Eric's on the phone. He says he'll only talk to you."

Frank grabbed the phone from Vaughn. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"I can't talk long." Eric said. "If Luke finds out that I'm talking to you, he'll kill me."

"That really isn't my problem." Frank growled into the phone. "So you better start talking fast."

"He has her at his house. Get here fast." Eric said.

Before Frank could respond, he was met by the sound of the dial tone.

"Luke has Nancy." Frank said. "We have to move now before he kills her."

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Nancy couldn't believe that she had actually fallen for Luke. Why hadn't she listened to Frank? She should have trusted him. But instead she had to be stubborn and look where it landed her.

"Was it all an act?" Nancy asked.

Luke just looked at her.

"You never really liked me did you? It was all just an act." Nancy said.

"Sorry." Luke said with no remorse at all.

"You won't get away with it, you know." Nancy said.

"Of course I will. No one suspects me. If anyone goes down for your murder, it will be Eric. All the evidence will point towards him." Luke said.

"What?"

Nancy looked up as Eric walked back into the room.

"You're setting me up?" Eric asked. "I thought we were in this together."

"We were." Luke said, turning towards Eric. "But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I don't need you anymore. Besides, I can use that thirty percent cut that I give you."

"I won't let you do that to me, Luke." Eric said.

"I'm afraid you won't have much of a choice." Luke said. He aimed his gun and shot Eric in the chest, causing Nancy to scream.

Luke turned his gun on Nancy. "Quiet, Nancy or I'll do the same to you."

Nancy looked at Luke with wide eyes and then looked at Eric. He didn't appear to be breathing. She watched as Luke picked up the gas can and started to soak everything in the living room. He then stepped back near the door and smiled at Nancy.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I really should get going." Luke pulled out a box of matches and struck one. Nancy watched in horror as he dropped it to the ground. As the room wasbecoming ravaged withflames, she could hear him whistling as he shut the door.

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**Author's Note: All right, so the majority of you were right–Luke is a bad guy. This was my intent from the very beginning. While this pleases some of you, I know this is a disappointment to others. As I said before, a writer can't please everyone. Let me know what you think of this chapter and if it was good enough for you. I tried...I really tried!**


	18. Something More

Nancy quickly weighed her options: She could either sit here and die or do something to get herself out of this mess. She looked over at Eric and saw that he would be no help to her whatsoever. She looked in front of her and spied a small table that held a ceramic lamp. If she could reach it with her legs and knock the lamp over, she may be able to cut herself free.

Nancy could feel herself start to sweat as stretched herself as far as she could towards the table. The flames were getting closer to her so she needed to work fast. She saw that she was a mere two inches from the table. She gritted her teeth and kicked out her her foot. She finally connected with the table and the lamp fell down, shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces.

She used her foot and brought one of the larger shards to her body. When it got close enough for her to be able to reach it, she turned her body and grabbed it. She felt a sharp pain in her hand as she grasped it and then warm blood trickle down her hand. She didn't care though. Anything was better than burning to death.

Nancy started to cough as she cut into the ropes that bound her. She knew she didn't have much time left. She couldn't help but have her thoughts wander. _Would she get out of this? Why did she have to be so stupid and so trusting? Why couldn't she have trusted the one person in the world that she trusted the most? Will she be able to get out of here in order to tell him how stupid she was for not listening to him?_

Nancy shook her head. She couldn't do this. Not now.

Nancy could feel the ropes around her wrists start to loosen. She yanked on them as she continued to cough more violently now. She felt herself becoming lightheaded. She gave the ropes one last yank and finally her hands became free. She pushed herself up and started breathing into her shirt. She needed to get out now and get some fresh air into her lungs.

But then she looked over at Eric. She couldn't leave him there even if he was dead. She knelt next to him and checked to see if he even had a pulse. Shock registered on her face when she felt a very faint one. If she was able to get him out of here alive, then he could testify against Luke and have him put away for a long time.

Nancy looked towards the front door and saw that it was completely blocked by flames. She would have to drag Eric through the kitchen and get them out the back door. Just as she was about to lift him up, she collapsed to the floor in a huge coughing fit. Her vision was becoming blurry and she was having a hard time catching her breath.

She tried to get up again, but it was no use. As she felt herself growing faint, she thought she heard someone screaming her name. She strained her ears and she heard it again. Someone was calling her name!

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"Nancy!"

Frank Hardy's heart nearly tore from his chest when he saw the flames coming out of Luke's house. He had to get inside and help Nancy.

"Joe, I'm going inside!" Frank screamed at his brother.

"Frank, you can't! You'll die if you go in there!" Joe screamed back.

"I have to! I won't let her die!" Frank took off towards the burning house before Joe could argue with him any longer.

When Frank got to the front door, he saw there was no way he could get in. He ran around to the back to find the door locked. He used his elbow and broke the glass out of the window. He stuck his hand in the opening and unlocked the door.

As Frank opened the door, he was enveloped in heavy, black smoke. He took off his shirt and used it as a mask to breathe in. He ran into the living room and saw Nancy trying to make a feeble attempt at standing up.

"Nancy!" Frank said.

"Frank!" Nancy croaked. She collapsed to the ground again. Frank ran up to her and scooped her up in his arms. He ran out the back door to the front yard where the ambulance was waiting. He gently placed her on the ground and brushed the hair out of her face as the paramedics rushed up to her. Nancy's lungs gratefully took in the fresh air that she was breathing in.

"You have to go back in and get Eric." She whispered hoarsely to him. "Luke shot him. He's in the living room."

"Nancy, he's probably dead by now." Frank said.

Nancy shook her head as the medic was putting an oxygen mask over her face. "No, I checked. He's still alive. _Please, _Frank."

Frank didn't hesitate another second when he heard the pleading in her voice. He ran back into the house and found Eric lying on the floor near where Nancy was. He could hear creaks in the ceiling and he knew that the roof was about to collapse. He had to get them both out–_now._

Frank picked Eric up in a fireman's carry and rushed him out of the house. The paramedics took over from him as soon as he appeared in the front yard with him. Frank looked over to see that Joe was sitting on the ground with Nancy.

"Are you okay?" Frank asked Nancy.

Nancy nodded her head weakly. She moved the oxygen mask away from her face. "Thanks to you."

"It was nothing." Frank said. "All in a day's work."

Nancy gave him a weak smile. He was so grateful to be able to see that smile again.

"Really, though. Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am." Nancy said. She out the oxygen mask back on her face and leaned against the tree she was sitting in front of.

Frank looked around. "Where's Sheriff Vaughn?"

"They got word that Luke was on his way to pick up Maddie. So they decided to greet him themselves." Joe explained.

"How did they know that? Who told them?" Frank asked.

"Apparently Maddie called Veronica and told her that Luke was on his way to pick her up. They were going to flee the country." Joe said.

Frank glanced at Nancy as she watched Eric being loaded into the ambulance. "I have to be honest, Nan. If it wasn't for Eric, I don't think we would have gotten here in time."

The medic came over to check on Nancy. "Is he going to be okay?" Nancy asked him.

The medic nodded. "We have him stabilized right now. He should make a full recovery though. How are you feeling?"

"I feel much better." Nancy said.

He took out his stethoscope and listened to Nancy's breathing. "Your lungs are clear, so you should be fine. But if you find you have any problems breathing, get yourself to a doctor."

Nancy nodded and handed the medic the oxygen mask. He packed it up and they were soon on their way with Eric to the hospital.

"So you wanna tell us what was going on?" Joe asked Nancy.

Nancy explained everything that Luke confessed to her. When she was finished, they just looked at her in shock.

"How did he manage to get away with all of this for so long?" Joe asked.

"He had a lot of help." Nancy said. "He kept his tracks covered."

Just then the sheriff's car pulled up to them. Sheriff Vaughn strode over to them, smiling.

"We got him." She said.

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Nancy had to admit that she was happy to be back at home. Frank and Joe had driven her back to River Heights a couple of days ago. She still had the cast on her leg, but that didn't bother her. It was just an ugly reminder of Huntingdon. But she had her life and that was what she was most grateful for.

Sheriff Vaughn had called her yesterday and told her that Luke had confessed to everything. Of course, that was after the fact that Maddie had blabbed everything to the police for a lighter sentence.

Nancy was still beating herself up for falling for Luke so easily. She was always a cautious person and it took her by surprise that she would just give in so easily. She knew it would be a good while before she could trust just anyone again. And she hated that–she wanted to believe that every person could be trustworthy.

She glanced up as Frank came out onto the patio with two glasses of iced teas. He handed one to her and then sat down in the chair next to her.

"Where's Joe?" she asked.

"He went over to see Bess for a few minutes. You know we can't leave until he's able to see her." Frank said, grinning.

Nancy grinned and took a sip of her iced tea. She set it down on the small table beside her and turned to Frank. "I wanted to say thank you."

"You already have, Nan." Frank said.

"Not for that." Nancy said. "I'm talking about Luke–for not saying 'I told you so.'"

"We all make mistakes." Frank said.

"I know, but...it meant a lot to me." Nancy said.

Frank looked at her. "You're welcome."

Nancy flashed him one of her brilliant smiles and he practically melted. He set down his own glass of tea. He needed to tell her how he felt. He knew it was too soon after Luke, but she had to know.

"Nancy, I want you to know how much I care for you." Frank said.

"I know you do, Frank." Nancy said.

"Not like that, Nan. I mean I really care for you. I have wanted to be with you since the day I met you and we've always had these stupid obstacles in our way." Frank said.

"They're not obstacles, Frank. They're people." Nancy said.

"I know. I don't mean it to sound like that. I just need you to know how I feel about you. I want you to know that I will always be there for you, no matter what." Frank hesitated. "I love you."

Nancy looked at him with a pained expression on her face. "I love you too, Frank. But I can't do it right now. I'm not even over the whole Luke thing yet. Besides, you're still with Callie."

"Do you think if things were different, that maybe we...could have a chance?" Frank asked.

"Yes, if things were different, I could see myself with you, yes." Nancy said. "Maybe sometime down the road." She saw the pained expression on his face and cringed. "I'm hurting you."

Frank shook his head. "No, I just sprung all of this on you. It's okay."

"It's not okay, Frank. I don't like to see you hurt." Nancy said.

"Really, Nan. It's okay. You're words give me hope for the future."

He stood up. "I think Joe and I should be hitting the road." He leaned down towards her and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Remember what I said, Drew." He smiled at her. "I love you."

Nancy smiled at him and watched as he walked away. He stopped and turned back towards her. "Oh, by the way, you still owe me a trip in New York."

"You're on." Nancy said. "Only next time, I think I'll fly."

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Frank wasn't lying to Nancy. Her words really did give him hope for them. He knew that it wouldn't be anytime soon, but he also knew he needed to be ready for her when she did want him.

As soon as Joe pulled up in their driveway and got his things out, Frank slid into the driver's seat. Joe looked at him, confused.

"Where are you going?" Joe asked.

"There's something I need to do. Something that I've needed to do for a long time now." Frank said as he backed up.

Frank knew where he was going. He knew the place by heart.

As he pulled into her driveway, he knew that it wouldn't be easy. But he felt that it would be better for the both of them. He stepped out of the car and walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. She was smiling when she answered it.

"You're back!" she said, hugging him.

Frank pulled away from her. "Callie, we need to talk."

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**Author's Note: Ah, yes... the end of another story. I really hope that you enjoyed it and that it had a little of something for everyone. Again, thank you all for the reviews and I hope that you continue to enjoy my stories. I will be coming up with another one soon, but it may take a bit for me to come up with it. But I need to know if you want me to start posting it as soon as I come up with it, b/c I will going to visit family and will be gone for about 5 weeks in June. Are you willing to wait that long for an update? Let me know in your reviews! Thank you!**


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